Supernova

Visualization of a binary star experiencing mass transfer. Credit: © Ylva GötbergUncovering the missing precursors of hydrogen-poor supernovae.Supernovae–stellar explosions as bright as an entire galaxy–have fascinated us since time immemorial. Yet, there are more hydrogen-poor supernovae than astrophysicists can explain. Now, a new Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has played a pivotal role in identifying the missing precursor star population. The results, now published in…

Last month, astronomers focused the Webb Space Telescope on the galaxy MRG-M0138 and found something surprising: a supernova in the ancient universe, magnified for your viewing pleasure by the gravitational lensed galaxy.First Full-Color Images From Webb Space TelescopeWhen stars die, they release a huge amount of energy, which astronomers can observe as a bright light source called a supernova. The supernova imaged by Webb is the second spotted in the lensed region. Named Encore, the supernova was “discovered…

Two of the greatest stars of Manchester music, Oasis’s Liam Gallagher and the Stone Roses’ John Squire, are teasing a collaboration together, expected to be an album released in 2024.A new website, gallaghersquire.com, has been launched, and Gallagher has posted about Squire on his social media accounts. He posted a quote on Instagram: “John Squire without a doubt the best guitarist of his generation and in the world in my opinion,” alongside footage of Squire playing with Oasis at their landmark Knebworth concerts in…

This new image of supernova remnant SN 1006 combines data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The red, green, and blue elements reflect low, medium, and high energy X-rays, respectively, as detected by Chandra. The IXPE data, which measure the polarization of the X-ray light, is show in purple in the upper left corner, with the addition of lines representing the outward movement of the remnant’s magnetic field. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO (Chandra); NASA/MSFC/Nanjing…

University of Tokyo researchers have applied deep learning to supernova simulations, significantly improving accuracy and efficiency, with potential applications in astrophysics and beyond, including climate and earthquake modeling. Credit: SciTechDaily.com A novel method of simulating supernovae could shed light on our cosmic origins. Supernovae, which are exploding stars, play a pivotal role in galaxy formation and evolution. However, simulating these phenomena accurately and efficiently has been a significant…

The bright star Betelgeuse, a prominent member of the Orion constellation, is set to be occulted by the asteroid Leona on December 11. This occurrence, expected to last no more than 10 seconds, will cause the star to temporarily vanish from sight, a phenomenon visible along a narrow path on Earth.Zillow Says You’ll Buy Your Next House With… AI? | AI UnlockedThe fascinating event is expected in the night sky on Tuesday, December 11 at approximately 8:17 p.m. ET (Wednesday, December 12 at 00:17 UT). This rare occultation…

The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) located at the Devasthal Observatory in Nainital, India, has recently marked a milestone by identifying its inaugural supernova, SN 2023af. This breakthrough, detailed in a November 8 report on the arXiv preprint server, signals the ILMT's potential to unearth numerous supernovae in the years to come. These cosmic events, known for their intense luminosity and stellar explosions, offer valuable insights into the evolution of stars and galaxies, providing astronomers with…

A new study using nearly eight years of data from the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) instrument on the International Space Station reports more electrons arriving at high energies than any previous work. Careful analysis of the data bolster understanding of cosmic ray electron acceleration processes within supernova remnants, and suggest one or more local (cosmically speaking) sources of high energy cosmic ray electrons. Credit: NASAThe CALET instrument has detected electrons arriving with more energy than ever…

In October of 2022, telescopes picked up a jet of high energy from a supernova that exploded 1.9 billion light-years away from Earth. This gamma-ray burst is considered the brightest of all time, and now researchers say it caused immense damage to Earth’s ozone for a few minutes when it hit. “The ozone was partially depleted — was destroyed temporarily,” Pietro Ubertini, an astronomer at the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome, explained to The New York Times. The researcher’s new paper on the…

ESA’s Integral space telescope detected an unprecedented gamma-ray burst from a distant exploding star, causing significant disturbances in Earth’s ionosphere. This event, the brightest and strongest of its kind ever recorded, has led researchers to explore its potential link to historical mass extinctions on Earth.An enormous burst of gamma rays, detected by ESA’s Integral space telescope, has struck Earth. The blast caused a significant disturbance in our planet’s ionosphere. Such disturbances are usually associated…