Universe contains more calcium than expected
The universe contains one and a half times more calcium than previously assumed. This conclusion was drawn by astronomers of the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, after observations with ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory. view more (2007-02-07)
A star's death comes to light
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, scientists have created a stunning new image of one of the youngest supernova remnants in the galaxy. This new view of the debris of an exploded star helps astronomers solve a long-standing mystery, with implications for understanding how a star's life can end catastrophically and for gauging the expansion... view more... (2007-01-10)
Supernova birth seen for first time
Astronomers have seen the aftermath of spectacular stellar explosions known as supernovae before, but until now no one has witnessed a star dying in real time. view more (2008-05-22)
The Purple Rose of Virgo
ntil now NGC 5584 was just one galaxy among many others, located to the West of the Virgo Cluster. Known only as a number in galaxy surveys, its sheer beauty is now revealed in all its glory in a new VLT image. Since 1 March, this purple cosmic rose also holds the brightest stellar explosion of the year, known as SN 2007af. view more (2007-03-28)
The Wild, Hidden Cousin of SN 1987A
Over a decade after it exploded, one of the nearest supernovae in the last 25 years has been identified. This result was made possible by combining data from the vast online archives from many of the world's premier telescopes. view more (2008-09-26)
Tycho's Remnant Provides Shocking Evidence for Cosmic Rays
Astronomers have found compelling evidence that a supernova shock wave has produced a large amount of cosmic rays, particles of mysterious origin that constantly bombard the Earth. view more (2005-09-23)
A scientific first: A supernova explosion is observed in real time
An ordinary observation with NASA's Swift research satellite recently led to the first real-time sighting of a star in the process of exploding. Astronomers have surveyed thousands of these supernova explosions in the past, but their observations have always begun some time after the main event is underway. view more (2008-05-22)
Cassiopeia A comes alive across time and space
Two new efforts have taken a famous supernova remnant from the static to the dynamic. A new movie of data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows changes in time never seen before in this type of object. A separate team will also release a dramatic three-dimensional visualization of the same remnant. view more (2009-01-06)
NASA's Chandra sees brightest supernova ever
The brightest stellar explosion ever recorded may be a long-sought new type of supernova, according to observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes. view more (2007-05-08)
Stellar forensics with striking new image from Chandra
A spectacular new image shows how complex a star's afterlife can be. By studying the details of this image made from a long observation by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers can better understand how some stars die and disperse elements like oxygen into the next generation of stars and planets. view more (2007-10-24)
Supernova radioisotopes show sun was born in star cluster, scientists say
The death of a massive nearby star billions of years ago offers evidence the sun was born in a star cluster, say astronomers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. view more (2006-10-05)
Possible Origin of Cosmic Rays Revealed with Gamma Rays
An international team of astronomers (including the UK) has produced the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays, helping to solve a 100 year old mystery - an origin of cosmic rays. Their research, published in the Journal Nature on November 4th, was carried out using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.),... view more... (2004-11-02)
Supernova radiation simulated in Virtual Reality
To astrophysicists, the energy-charged x-ray radiation on the fringes of a supernova explosion has long been enigmatic. It hasn't been possible to explain how the electrons are able to accelerate to nearly the speed of light. Now scientists in England and in Linköping, Sweden, have hit upon a possible explanation by combining supercomputer... view more... (2001-12-20)
CSI: Milky Way team works scene of dead star
Like a team of forensic detectives in a television show that could be called "CSI: Milky Way," a University of Chicago astrophysicist and his associates are piecing together how a mysterious infrared ring got left around a dead star that displays a magnetic field trillions of times more intense than Earth's. view more (2008-05-29)
Scientists discover 'light echoes' of ancient supernovae
Astronomers have found "light echoes" from three ancient supernovae by detecting their faint, centuries-old light reflected in the clouds of interstellar dust. view more (2005-12-23)
Chandra discovers cosmic cannonball
One of the fastest moving stars ever seen has been discovered with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This cosmic cannonball is challenging theories to explain its blistering speed. view more (2007-11-29)
New Star Systems First of Their Kind
Researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today in Astrophysical Journal Letters that they have discovered a faraway binary star system that could be the progenitor of a rare type of supernova. view more (2008-04-02)
Supernova Imposter Goes Supernova
In a galaxy far, far away, a massive star suffered a nasty double whammy. On Oct. 20, 2004, Japanese amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki saw the star let loose an outburst so bright that it was initially mistaken for a supernova. The star survived, but for only two years. On Oct. 11, 2006, professional and amateur astronomers witnessed the star... view more... (2007-04-05)
The quiet explosion
A European-led team of astronomers are providing hints that a recent supernova may not be as normal as initially thought. Instead, the star that exploded is now understood to have collapsed into a black hole, producing a weak jet, typical of much more violent events, the so-called gamma-ray bursts. view more (2008-07-25)
XMM-Newton reveals the origin of elements in galaxy clusters
Deep observations of two X-ray bright clusters of galaxies with ESA's XMM-Newton satellite allowed a group of international astronomers to measure their chemical composition with an unprecedented accuracy. view more (2006-05-11)
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