supernova – Astronomy Now

Wreckage of a doomed star in the Large Magellanic Cloud

1 February 2019 Astronomy Now

A supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic cloud, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006, shows the spectacular aftermath of a supernova blast, generating a cloud of debris expanding at 18 million kilometres per hour (11 million mph).

Astronomers see birth of rare binary neutron star

12 October 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found an “ultra-stripped supernova” that created a second neutron star in a tight binary system, matching theoretical predictions for how such binaries are formed in otherwise disruptive blasts.

Astronomers stunned again by Eta Carinae – the star that will not die

3 August 2018 Astronomy Now

Eta Carinae, one of the brightest, most massive stars in the Milky Way, famously erupted 170 years ago, producing huge clouds of expanding debris. Astronomers studying light echoes from the blast may have found an explanation.

Hubble spots possible third supernova exploding in remote galaxy

24 June 2018 Astronomy Now

Studying giant galaxy clusters to find targets for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted what appears to be a third supernova going off in a galaxy where two others were previously seen.

Hubble spots surviving companion to a supernova

26 April 2018 William Harwood

For the first time, the Hubble Space Telescope has photographed the surviving companion of a star that exploded in a supernova blast 17 years ago, evidence that supernovas can originate in binary star systems.

Kepler Space Telescope sheds light on fast-evolving supernovae

26 March 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has captured a difficult-to-detect, fast-evolving supernova in the act of blowing up and rapidly fading away, allowing astronomers to rule out competing theories and come up with a plausible explanation.

Amateur astronomer makes once-in-lifetime discovery

23 February 2018 Astronomy Now

Testing a new camera, an amateur astronomer in Argentina captured the initial outburst of light from a supernova some 85 million light years away, a chance discovery that amounts to winning a cosmic lottery.

Hubble spots expanding light echo around supernova

10 November 2017 Astronomy Now

Light from a supernova explosion in the nearby starburst galaxy M82 is reverberating off a huge dust cloud in interstellar space.

Astronomers discover a star that would not die

9 November 2017 Astronomy Now

Supernovae, the explosions of stars, have been observed in the thousands and in all cases they marked the death of a star. Astronomers at Las Cumbres Observatory have discovered a remarkable exception — a star that exploded multiple times over a period of more than fifty years. Their observations are challenging existing theories on these cosmic catastrophes.

Astronomers discover ‘heavy metal’ supernova rocking out

2 August 2017 Astronomy Now

Many rock stars don’t like to play by the rules, and a cosmic one is no exception. A team of astronomers has discovered that an extraordinarily bright supernova occurred in a surprising location. This “heavy metal” supernova discovery challenges current ideas of how and where such super-charged supernovas occur.