New Hubble observations reveal composition of ’star guts’ pouring out
September 4th, 2010 - 6:12 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Sept 4 (ANI): A new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder has revealed that observations made with NASA’s newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope of a nearby supernova are allowing astronomers to measure the velocity and composition of ’star guts’ being ejected into space following the explosion.
The astronomers detected significant brightening of the emissions from Supernova 1987A, which were consistent with some theoretical predictions about how supernovae interact with their immediate galactic environment.
Discovered in 1987, Supernova 1987A is the closest exploding star to Earth to be detected since 1604 and resides in the nearby Large Magellanic loud, a dwarf galaxy adjacent to our own Milky Way Galaxy.
The team observed the supernova in optical, ultraviolet and near-infrared light, charting the interplay between the stellar explosion and the famous ‘String of Pearls,’ a glowing ring 6 trillion miles in diameter encircling the supernova remnant that has been energized by X-rays.
The gas ring likely was shed some 20,000 years before the supernova exploded, and shock waves rushing out from the remnant have been rightening some 30 to 40 pearl-like “hot spots” in the ring — objects that likely will grow and merge together in then coming years to form a continuous, glowing circle.
“The new observations allow us to accurately measure the velocity and composition of the ejected ’star guts,’ which tell us about the deposition of energy and heavy elements into the host galaxy,” said CU-Boulder Research Associate Kevin France of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, lead study author.
“The new observations not only tell us what elements are being recycled into the Large Magellanic Cloud, but how it changes its environment on human time scales.”
The study was published in the Sept. 2 issue of Science. (ANI)
- NASA's Hubble space telescope discovers festive bauble - Dec 15, 2010
- Symmetry of supernova's remnants can reveal how the star exploded - Dec 18, 2009
- Astrophysicists discover 12 oldest supernovas - Oct 05, 2011
- NASA finds giant ring of black holes - Feb 10, 2011
- Study predicts occurrence of neutron star collision in local galaxies - Dec 03, 2010
- A celestial menagerie on display in the Large Magellanic Cloud - Jun 02, 2010
- Astronomers stumble on massive black holes - Dec 07, 2011
- New evidence on what triggered ancient Supernovas - Apr 27, 2011
- Supernova 2008am is brightest 'self-interacting' supernova yet discovered - Mar 29, 2011
- Dying star coughs out dust cloud` - Jan 17, 2011
- 'Magnetar' discovery challenges stellar evolution, black hole theory - Aug 19, 2010
- NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory finds youngest nearby black hole - Nov 16, 2010
- NASA finds 30-yr-old 'youngest' nearby black hole - Nov 16, 2010
- New Hubble image showcases star birth in curving arms of nearby spiral galaxy - Nov 06, 2009
- Supernova remnant erupts in enormous flares - May 12, 2011
Tags: boulder research, cu boulder, dwarf galaxy, exploding star, galactic environment, host galaxy, hubble observations, hubble space telescope, human time, infrared light, large magellanic cloud, milky way galaxy, nearby supernova, shock waves, space astronomy, stellar explosion, string of pearls, supernova remnant, theoretical predictions, university of colorado at boulder