Science quiz: The infinite wonders of space

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Name this galaxy in the constellation Serpens Caput that’s famed for being nearly symmetrical. It was identified in the mid-20th century.

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Which rare kind of compact remnant of a dead star spins once every few seconds and sometimes experiences “starquakes” that trigger intense bursts of X-rays and gamma rays, often seen as repeating high-energy flares? This object is also famous for possessing the strongest magnetic fields known in the universe.

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What do astronomers call worlds of mass comparable to that of a planet but which drift through interstellar space without orbiting any star? They are usually detected using microlensing or a faint infrared glow. Scientists believe they may have been ejected from young systems or formed alone in collapsing clouds.

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Sometimes a star can be flung from the centre of a galaxy after it interacts with a supermassive black hole, which accelerates it. This star can be flung at lakhs of kilometers per second. What are these stars called?

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In 2019, astronomers using long-wavelength maps noticed enormous yet faint ring-like structures around distant galaxies, far larger than supernova remnants and unlike known galaxy shapes. What did they call these mysterious features? Hint: the acronym is the name of a fictitious race in the work of JRR Tolkien.

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What hypothetical type of extremely dense star is proposed to be made of the particles that also make up protons and neutrons? But instead of forming protons or neutrons in the star, their high-energy environs cause them to be “deconfined.” The star’s density is expected to be between that of a neutron star and a black hole.