Articles tagged with Stellar Explosions
Astronomers have discovered a quadra-polar nebula with two disks formed at different times, challenging the companion-star-only model. The study, led by C. Robert O'Dell, used sharp new images from the Hubble Space Telescope to reconstruct the 3D structure of the Helix Nebula.
Astronomers from Johns Hopkins University confirm the Cygnus Loop is closer to Earth than previously thought, with a distance of 1,860 light years. The new findings were obtained using the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite and provide an accurate starting point for understanding this important supernova remnant.
Researchers detected a sudden cooling of the star Rho Cassiopeiae in 2000, resulting in an unprecedented mass ejection into space. The star is now considered one of the brightest yellow hypergiants in the Milky Way, with a luminosity over half a million times that of the Sun.
Chandra has revealed unprecedented images of a blast wave from an exploding star, a flare from a brown dwarf, and a small galaxy being cannibalized by a larger one. The observatory's high resolution has enabled scientists to pinpoint sources of the X-ray background glow, leading to a better understanding of our universe.
Astronomers have discovered an expanding oxygen and neon ring in the remnants of a massive star explosion, providing unprecedented insights into the creation and dispersal of heavy elements. The findings suggest that these elements are necessary for life on Earth and could provide clues to the nature of supernovae.
A team of astronomers has used Chandra to map the distribution of silicon, sulfur, and iron in Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant. The findings provide insights into how elements are produced in stars and their subsequent release into space.
Researchers found a direct correlation between the pattern of X-ray emission and the size of supernova remnants. Larger remnants exhibit brighter X-ray emission from their centers, suggesting changes in gas distribution as they age.
Astrophysicist James Annis suggests that cataclysmic gamma-ray bursts could be sterilizing galaxies, preventing extraterrestrial life from reaching Earth. This theory may provide an explanation for the Fermi Paradox, with intelligent life having recently emerged in the Galaxy and being unable to explore yet.
Astronomers have discovered a large number of slow X-ray pulsars in supernova remnants, which are believed to be neutron stars with huge magnetic fields. These so-called magnetars rotate much slower than expected and are invisible to radio probes.
A team of scientists has discovered a young and previously unknown supernova remnant located just 700 light years away from the Vela supernova remnant. The remnant is exceptionally close to Earth, with an age of at most 1500 years, making it the nearest supernova remnant to have occurred during recent human history.
Astronomers have discovered eta Carinae, a bright stellar object in the Milky Way, to be the most massive binary star system ever known. The two stars, each weighing about 70 times that of the sun, orbit each other every 5.5 years, causing predictable spectral changes.
New observations reveal DEM L 316 as two overlapping supernova remnants with colliding shells, studied to understand energy and element distribution. The collision may influence the births of new stars by distributing material from dead stars.