A revolutionary discovery shook the astronomical community when Svetoslav Alexandrov, a 36-year-old Sofia biologist, registered an extremely rare cosmic phenomenon through the Kilonova Seekers mobile application on July 10, 2025.
The scientific feat involves identifying a "dwarf nova" - an intense stellar explosion where a white dwarf absorbs matter from its accompanying satellite, generating a blinding light explosion that is 2,500 times brighter than usual.
The project, initiated by the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, marks its first significant success through the contribution of the Bulgarian researcher. Professional astronomical teams immediately redirected specialized equipment towards the discovery, collecting precise spectral and light measurements.
The result of the exceptional observation is a collective scientific publication in the renowned Astronomy and Astrophysics magazine, whose co-authors are Alexandrov and ten other civilian researchers, dated July 1.
The achievement highlights the democratization of scientific research, illustrating how modern technologies allow ordinary enthusiasts to contribute to the expansion of knowledge. Svetoslav himself is already planning his next challenge - discovering a comet through data from the Chilean Vera Rubin telescope.