A supernova spotted 21 million light-years from Earth already outshines its host galaxy and is expected to peak in brightness in the coming days
A star has exploded in a galaxy just 21 million light years from Earth, giving astronomers a rare opportunity to watch a supernova unfold in real time in exquisite detail.
Supernova SN 2023ixf was discovered in the Pinwheel galaxy, or M101, on 19 May by a Japanese amateur astronomer called Koichi Itagaki. It is the closest supernova to Earth since SN 2014J in 2014, which was some 11 million light years away. The supernova, which already outshines its host galaxy, is expected to peak in brightness in the coming days, but may remain visible for years.
While thousands of supernovae are seen every year, the proximity of 2023ixf means it can be studied in much more detail than others. Telescopes across the world were trained in its direction “within hours of its discovery”, says at the University of Arizona, deducing it was probably a type II supernova, in which a supergiant star runs out of fuel and collapses in on itself before exploding.Bostroem has been allocated time on the Hubble Space Telescope to study the ultraviolet light from the explosion. So far, it looks like the supernova is interacting with material that was previously ejected by the star, which the Hubble observations could probe further.
Two or three stars have been identified as the possible progenitor of the supernova, including a type of massive star known as a Wolf-Rayet star, but the supernova is currently too bright to work out which it is. Hubble or even theObservations of 2023ixf may provide invaluable data on our understanding of how supernovae unfold. “This is going to be like a Rosetta Stone supernova,” says Bostroem. “It’s going to be one of those ones that we compare everything to.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Amateur Astronomers Can See a New Supernova in the Night SkyThe exploded star is 25 million light-years away in the Pinwheel Galaxy.
Baca lebih lajut »
Astronomers recreate super speedy rings surrounding black holes in lab'Understanding how accretion discs behave will not only help us reveal how black holes grow, but also how gas clouds collapse to form stars.'
Baca lebih lajut »
All Alone in the Cosmos: A Unique Galaxy Mystifies AstronomersThe unexpectedly lonely galaxy 3C 297, discovered 9.2 billion light-years from Earth, has challenged existing theories on galaxy formation. Researchers suggest it may be the most distant 'fossil group' ever discovered, where one galaxy has absorbed its former companions. A distant — and lonely —
Baca lebih lajut »
Scientists Discover Brutal Planet That Sounds Like Darth Vader's MustafarA team of astronomers has discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet that may be absolutely covered with volcanoes.
Baca lebih lajut »
Earth-sized volcano planet may have a livable environmentAstronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet they suspect is covered in volcanoes and could have the potential to sustain life. The planet, known as LP 791-18 d, is about 90 light-years away from Earth.
Baca lebih lajut »
How ‘Fast X’ Director Louis Leterrier Brings the F&F Series Back to Earth while Pushing LimitsLast time, they drove a Fiero into space; with ‘Fast X’ the action will at least be ‘plausible.’
Baca lebih lajut »