Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Lunar soil reads as a cosmic time capsule for exploding stars

A new study reveals that the Moon's soil can be decoded to reveal history of supernova explosions. Researchers developed a mathematical model to unscramble the lunar surface, providing guidance for future core samples. The model reveals insights into the history of our Solar System's journey through the galaxy.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 24, 2026

Scientists show how baby stars’ cradles get their radial shape

Researchers at Kyushu University used 3D computer simulations to understand the physics behind hub-and-spoke patterns in star-forming regions. The study shows that oblique shocks create invisible channels guiding compressed gas into central filaments, forming the radial shape of baby stars' cradles.

SourceKyushu University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 28, 2026

Where the elements come from

A team of researchers at Kyoto University used X-ray spectroscopy to measure the amount of chlorine and potassium inside a supernova remnant, revealing that these elements were created in intense environments deep inside stars. The study suggests that strong mixing inside massive stars can enhance the production of these elements.

SourceKyoto University·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeObservational study·DateDec 4, 2025

Fresh wind blows from historical supernova

Researchers recreated the structure of supernova remnant SN 1181 using a new computer model, explaining its double shock formation. The study also found that high-speed stellar winds may have started blowing from its surface within the past 20-30 years.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 5, 2024

Exploding stars

Researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf are studying near-Earth cosmic explosions to understand their potential impact on the Earth's biosphere. They found that ejected debris can reach our solar system, with some isotopes, such as iron-60 and plutonium-244, potentially coming from supernovae or other galactic events.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalAnnual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science·TypeSystematic review·DateNov 2, 2023

Magnetized dead star likely has solid surface

A new study published in Science found that a highly magnetised dead star, known as a magnetar, is likely to have a solid surface with no atmosphere. The research team used data from the NASA satellite IXPE to observe the polarisation of X-ray light emitted by the star, which revealed a signature consistent with a solid crust.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalScience·TypeObservational study·DateNov 4, 2022

Milky Way’s graveyard of dead stars found

A new study has created the first map of the Milky Way's ancient dead stars, which reveals a 'galactic underworld' stretching three times the height of the galaxy. The map shows that almost a third of objects have been flung out from the galaxy, with neutron stars and black holes formed when massive stars collapse.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 29, 2022

Hyperfast white dwarf stars provide clues for understanding supernovae

Researchers used computer modeling to simulate the long-term evolution of a hypothesized type of supernova, known as D6. The study found that remnants of type Ia explosions are not necessarily symmetric, offering new insights into supernova physics. This finding has significant implications for using Ia supernovae as cosmic yardsticks.

SourceRIKEN·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 6, 2022

Pushing the boundaries of space exploration with X-ray polarimetry

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission enables new measurements of cosmic X-ray sources, such as pulsars, black holes, and neutron stars. With its state-of-the-art telescopes and detectors, IXPE will provide high-quality polarization data of various sources, including supernova remnants, active galaxies, and blazars.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Astronomical Telescopes Instruments and Systems·DateApr 22, 2022

Unique look at the self-destruction of a star is presented in 3D

Researchers have captured a 1,000-year-old supernova in 3D images, revealing unprecedented details about the elements ejected during a star's explosion. The study provides a three-dimensional map of these elements, shedding light on the conditions at the time of the explosion and the importance of asymmetries in supernovae.

SourceKTH, Royal Institute of Technology·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeImaging analysis·DateDec 7, 2021

Outback telescope captures Milky Way center, discovers remnants of dead stars

A radio telescope in the Western Australian outback has captured a new view of the Milky Way's centre, revealing remnants of 27 massive stars that exploded as supernovae. The data comes from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA survey, which used low-frequency radio waves to map the sky.

SourceInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research·JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Australia·DateNov 20, 2019

Dead star circled by light

Astronomers have discovered an isolated neutron star with low magnetic field located beyond our Milky Way galaxy using the MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. The neutron star is surrounded by a ring of gas that includes neon and oxygen.

SourceESO·JournalNature Astronomy·DateApr 5, 2018

Heart of an exploded star observed in 3-D

Researchers use ALMA to capture intricate 3-D rendering of newly formed molecules inside the supernova remnant, revealing previously undetected molecules such as formyl cation and sulfur monoxide. The study provides new insights into the physical instabilities inside a supernova and its impact on the surrounding interstellar space.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 10, 2017