Astronomers have determined the pre-explosion mass of a white dwarf star that blew up thousands of years ago using archival data from the Japan-led Suzaku X-ray satellite. The study suggests that only a single white dwarf was involved in the explosion, contradicting a well-established alternative scenario.
Researchers found two ancient stars in Sculptor dwarf galaxy with unusual chemical content, suggesting a single supernova explosion may have seeded the gas cloud. This discovery provides an unprecedented view of the earliest history of another galaxy.
Researchers made direct observations of cosmic dust resulting from an ancient supernova at the Milky Way's center, supporting the theory that supernovae produce dust in galaxies of the early universe. The study provides new insights into the origins of dust, a crucial component in star and planet formation.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have captured rare split images of a distant supernova using the Hubble Space Telescope. The images, caused by gravitational lensing, provide insight into dark matter distribution and the expansion rate of the universe.
Scientists have identified the fastest-moving unbound star in our galaxy, breaking the galactic speed record with a speed of 1,200 kilometers per second. The star, US708, was once part of a double-star solar system and is now expected to leave the Milky Way.
Astronomers spotted a distant supernova split into four images due to the gravity of a massive elliptical galaxy embedded in a cluster. The unique observation will help refine dark matter estimates and study the mass of the lensing galaxy and cluster.
Astronomers have discovered a distant supernova split into four images by a massive galaxy lens, allowing for the study of dark matter distribution and the type of star that exploded. The 'Einstein cross' will enable researchers to measure time delays between the arrival of light from the supernova in different images.
A team of astronomers has discovered a distant star exploding as a supernova, with four images captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The unique alignment is due to the powerful gravity of a foreground galaxy embedded in a massive cluster, providing a rare opportunity to study dark matter.
Researchers observed a rare phenomenon where the light from a distant supernova is deflected by a massive galaxy, creating four separate images. The discovery provides insights into dark matter, which makes up about 95% of the universe's mass.
Astronomers spot four images of a distant supernova in a massive galaxy cluster, bending light due to gravitational lensing. The discovery provides insights into dark matter's distribution and helps refine estimates of its amount.
Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers found four separate images of the same distant supernova, enabling them to measure the difference in light paths. This discovery helps refine estimates of dark matter and the expansion rate of the universe.
Astronomers have observed a distant star exploding four times due to a massive galaxy cluster, providing a rare opportunity to test Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The discovery also offers clues about the strength of gravity, dark matter, and dark energy in the universe.
Researchers developed a new model describing atomic nuclei that better predict exotic isotope properties. This improvement enables simulations of supernova explosions and nuclear reactor processes.
A team of astronomers has discovered the most massive pair of white dwarf stars yet found, which will merge in the future to form a runaway thermonuclear explosion leading to a Type Ia supernova. This discovery provides new insights into astronomical distances and dark energy, shedding light on the expansion of the Universe.
Harvard-Smithsonian astronomers created a new 3-D map of the interior of Cas A using a CAT scan equivalent. They found six massive cavities, or bubbles, that likely formed from radioactive nickel generated during the supernova explosion.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) has detected three powerful gamma-ray sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud, including a pulsar wind nebula and a supernova remnant. These discoveries provide new insights into the formation of cosmic structures and the evolution of galaxies.
A team of astronomers developed a simulation that produces galaxies with characteristics similar to observed ones, including mass, size, and age. The strong galactic winds in the EAGLE-simulation lead to lighter and younger galaxies with less star formation, mirroring real galaxy observations.
A team of researchers led by Kent State professor Michael Strickland has developed an exact solution to a complex physics equation, enabling more accurate modeling of the universe's earliest moments and high-energy particle collisions. The breakthrough has far-reaching implications for fields like galactic structure, supernovae, and he...
Researchers have made significant breakthroughs in understanding galaxy evolution by modeling the effects of stellar activity on star formation. By running complex supercomputer simulations, they found that feedback from stars plays a crucial role in regulating galaxy growth.
Researchers analyzing decades of observations detect an unusual source of light in a galaxy, with properties suggesting it could be a supermassive black hole ejected from its home galaxy. Alternatively, the object might have been a rare type of star known as a Luminous Blue Variable that underwent prolonged eruptions.
Researchers have used radio telescopes in Australia and Chile to observe the remnant of Supernova 1987A, providing insights into the explosion's aftermath. The team has also developed a three-dimensional simulation that reproduces observed features, including the persistent one-sidedness in radio images.
Researchers used powerful lasers to create colliding jets of plasma, mimicking cosmic explosions and planetary cores. They also recreated a tiny laboratory version of solar flares and stellar explosions, creating a gigantic plasma tsunami in space.
Astronomers have discovered a pulsating, dead star beaming with the energy of about 10 million suns. Pulsars are dense stellar remnants leftover from supernovas, and this one is the brightest ever recorded.
Astronomers using NASA's NuSTAR telescope have discovered a pulsar in the Cigar Galaxy, emitting energy about 100 times brighter than predicted. This finding challenges long-held assumptions about ultraluminous X-ray sources and may lead to re-evaluation of other objects previously thought to be black holes.
Researchers found a star with extremely low iron content, which could be evidence of the universe's first supernovae. The star's unusual chemical composition supports the theory that massive stars formed in the early universe and exploded as supernovae.
A team of astronomers led by Gastón Folatelli at the Kavli IPMU, University of Tokyo, has found evidence of a hot binary companion star to a yellow supergiant star, which had become a bright supernova. The discovery provides the last link in a chain of observations supporting the team's theoretical picture for this supernova.
A group of Russian astrophysicists have detected the formation of radioactive cobalt during a supernova explosion, confirming a corresponding theory. The discovery was made using data from the INTEGRAL gamma-ray orbital telescope and indicates that about 60% of the Sun's mass was emitted as radioactive cobalt.
A team of scientists has found seven tiny grains captured by Stardust, likely visitors from interstellar space. The particles are diverse in terms of chemical composition and structure, with some having a fluffy structure like snowflakes.
Researchers propose a solution for the rapid growth of ancient quasars, where small black holes zigzagged through dense gas streams, pulling in material and feeding on it rapidly. This mechanism allowed the black holes to grow at an exponential rate, eventually leading to massive growth rates.
Astronomers discovered a star system that could have left behind a 'zombie star' after an unusually weak supernova explosion. The team used Hubble Space Telescope images taken years before the stellar explosion to identify a blue companion star feeding energy to a white dwarf.
A NASA-funded X-ray instrument has confirmed that a region of million-degree interstellar plasma known as the local hot bubble is the main source of a foggy glow observed over the entire sky. The study also establishes upper limits on soft X-rays produced within our planetary system by solar wind.
An international research team has shown that the soft X-ray glow blanketing the sky originates from both inside and outside the solar system. The bulk of the radiation comes from a local hot bubble of gas in our galactic neighborhood, while the solar wind contributes up to 40 percent.
Astronomers have observed a unique transformation of a binary system containing a rapidly spinning neutron star. The system, known as AY Sextantis, underwent a dramatic change in behavior, with the pulsar's radio beacon vanishing and its gamma-ray emission increasing fivefold.
A team of researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute and Aarhus University discovered that cosmic dust grains can form through shock interaction during a supernova explosion. The grains can grow to sizes large enough to survive the violent shockwaves, providing insight into their origin.
Astronomers used the VLT to observe SN2010jl nine times soon after its explosion and found that dust grains form rapidly in the dense material surrounding the star. The observations revealed surprisingly large grain sizes that are resistant to destruction, answering a long-standing question about cosmic dust formation.
Researchers used extensive observations to develop the first high-resolution 3D model of the Homunculus Nebula, confirming features like arm-like protrusions and trenches. The new model suggests intense interactions between Eta Carinae's stars played a significant role in shaping the nebula.
Two low-cost, car battery-sized Canadian nanosatellites are part of the BRITE-Constellation project, monitoring brightness and color variations of brightest stars. The satellites will uncover clues about star origins, including our Sun and Earth.
Researchers used ALMA to detect molecular gas in two galaxies rocked by gamma ray bursts, finding it concentrated towards the galaxy centers. The gas was scarce near the explosions, which occurred in dusty environments with little gas present, suggesting intense star formation before the GRBs.
Scientists have used ALMA to detect radio emission from molecular gas in two dark LGRB hosts, revealing a dust-rich environment with low molecular gas levels. This supports the hypothesis that dust absorbs afterglow radiation, causing dark gamma-ray bursts.
Scientists detect the first Thorne-Żytkow object, a bizarre type of hybrid star formed from red supergiant and neutron stars. The discovery provides evidence for a new model of stellar interiors and offers insights into heavy element production in the universe.
A team of researchers has successfully replicated the amplification of cosmic magnetic fields in a laboratory experiment, using supercomputer simulations and high-powered laser beams. The findings provide insight into the origins of magnetic fields in interstellar space.
Researchers used high-powered lasers to create table-top supernovae, recreating the explosive events that occur when stars reignite or collapse. The experiments revealed irregular 'knotty' features and intense radio and X-ray emissions, confirming a theory about the interaction between magnetic fields and interstellar material.
Researchers are using rare cosmic explosions called supernovae to measure dark energy, aiming to gain insights into its composition and impact on the universe. By studying these events, scientists hope to refine their understanding of this enigmatic force and its role in shaping the cosmos.
The Palomar Transient Factory successfully observed a supernova exploding in real-time, providing unique spectral features that suggest its progenitor was a nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star. This discovery will aid in understanding massive star evolution and identifying potential supernova precursors.
Scientists identified the mix of elements thrown off by the star before its explosion, which helped paint a picture of how heavy elements in the universe are formed. The findings revealed a nitrogen-rich wind similar to those of Wolf-Rayet stars, providing a window into the workings of the cosmos.
A team of astronomers has identified a Wolf-Rayet star as the probable progenitor of a recently exploded supernova using flash spectroscopy. This technique allows for rapid identification of pre-explosion stars at greater distances than previously possible.
For the first time, scientists have direct confirmation that a Wolf-Rayet star died in a violent explosion known as a Type IIb supernova. The discovery was made using the iPTF pipeline, which caught the supernova within hours of its explosion and triggered ground- and space-based telescopes to observe the event.
A new model of supernovae represented as dynamical systems subject to a loss of stability sheds light on the phenomenon. This approach could be used to predict natural catastrophes before they happen.
The Illustris simulation recreates the evolution of the universe with unprecedented resolution, including spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and large-scale structures. It also accurately models chemistries of individual galaxies, offering a realistic view of cosmic evolution.
A team of researchers has discovered that the afterglow from a gamma-ray burst behaves differently than expected, with 10,000 times more circularly polarised light detected. The findings provide new insights into the extreme properties of matter under shockwave conditions.
A team of scientists observed a supernova in 2010 and proposed it was a new type of extra-bright supernova. However, further analysis revealed the presence of a lens that amplified the supernova's light, settling an important controversy. The discovery offers a means to test cosmic expansion using future lensed supernova events.
Researchers have discovered a galaxy that magnified a background supernova thirtyfold through gravitational lensing, confirming their previous explanation for the anomaly. This discovery may significantly impact our understanding of cosmic expansion and the mysterious components of the Universe, including dark energy and dark matter.
Researchers use Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope data to identify excess gamma-ray emission at high energies, consistent with dark matter annihilation. The signal is difficult to reconcile with other explanations and provides a strong case for the existence of dark matter.
A new three-dimensional model of supernova collapse reveals the role of turbulent mixing in expanding, contracting and ejecting elements before explosion. This breakthrough insight into the death throes of stars sheds light on the formation of elements necessary for life on Earth.
A new analysis of normal Type Ia supernovae reveals a range of masses, most near or below the Chandrasekhar limit. The SNfactory team used spectrography to 'weigh' the leftover debris, comparing masses and factors with light curves.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of SN 2014J, a Type Ia supernova discovered in the galaxy M82. The observations will help refine distance measurements to these explosions, which are essential for understanding the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Scientists studying the closest, brightest supernova in decades discovered it exhibited unusual characteristics, including rapid brightening. The findings may provide new clues to how stars explode and improve distance measurements, constraining the nature of dark energy.
The NuSTAR mission has produced the first map of high-energy X-ray emissions from a supernova remnant, revealing details about the core explosion and its effects on the surrounding gas and dust. The observations provide new insights into the fundamental physics of nuclear explosions and their role in creating life's essential elements.
A team of astrophysicists has created the first-ever map of radioactive material in a supernova remnant using NuSTAR. The findings suggest that massive dying stars likely rip apart with distorted shock waves, ending their lives.
Numerical simulations charting the universe's forces in its first hundreds of millions of years reveal subtle effects governing galaxy evolution, including incomplete mixing and chaotic supernova ejections. The findings shed light on metal formation and distribution in the earliest galaxies.