New supernova identified in the weird Cartwheel galaxy

A star met a gruesome end, resulting in a stunning photo.

The image on the left was taken by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) mounted on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in August 2014, before the supernova occurred. The image on the right was taken in December 2021 with ESO's New Technology Telescope, showing a bright spot in the lower left corner of the image, suggesting a supernova occurred in the time between these two photos were taken. (Image credit: ESO/Inserra et al., Amram et al.)

A new image from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) captures a stunning view of the Cartwheel galaxy following a recent stellar explosion.

Located roughly 500 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Sculptor, the Cartwheel galaxy is a spiral galaxy that merged with a smaller neighboring galaxy several million years ago, resulting in its unusual, two-rin shape.

Using the ESO's New Technology Telescope (NTT) in Chile, astronomers photographed the Cartwheel galaxy in December 2021, only to realize that tucked away in what appears in the image as the lower left region of the galaxy, a supernova has burst on the scene. Supernovas are the bright stellar explosions that occur when massive stars reach the end of their lives; the explosion can be visible to observers for months, or even years.

And this particular supernova appears to have occurred fairly recently. Scientists were able to compare the new images with some taken in August 2014 by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), also in Chile. Those observations do not show any trace of a supernova, according to a statement from the ESO

This stellar event, dubbed SN2021afdx, is classified as what scientists call a type II supernova, which features hydrogen and is caused by a large star running out of the fuel that is required to keep the object from collapsing under its own gravity. When a supernova occurs, it causes a bright burst that can outshine the entire host galaxy; along with the light, the explosion also flings material across space.

"Supernovas are one of the reasons astronomers say we are all made of stardust: they sprinkle the surrounding space with heavy elements forged by the progenitor star, which may end up being part of later generations of stars, the planets around them and life that may exist in those planets," ESO said in the statement.

Comments

Agnikul opens India's first rocket engine factory in Chennai

Space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos today inaugurated India's first-ever facility to manufacture 3D-printed rocket engines in Chennai. Named Rocket Factory 1, it was unveiled by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and Isro chairman S Somanath in the presence of Pawan Goenka, the chairman of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre). The 10,000-square-foot facility is located at IIT-Madras Research Park. It will have a 400mm x 400mm x 400mm metal 3D-printer from EOS that will enable end-to-end manufacturing of a rocket engine under one roof. The manufacturing facility has a capacity to make two rocket engines per week and thereby one launch vehicle every month, Agnikul co-founder Srinath Ravichandran told TOI. "This s a milestone for us as we go from R&D phase into core manufacturing with the opening of this facility, and begin productionizing the launch vehicle engine making. We have a lot of inbound interest [for launches] from global quarters...

ISRO is silently building Reusable Launch Vehicle

The Indian space agency is literally growing new wings as it gets ready to test a scaled down version of what can easily be described as the `swadeshi Space Shuttle'. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) calls it the `Reusable Launch Vehicle' or RLV. If all goes to plan very soon it will be seen flying over the Science City in Challakere, Karnataka, where the first landing experiment is being planned. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO says "We are working silently on reusable rocket technology, with a very low budget, low cost and low investment." In the past USA and Russia have flown full-fledged winged space vehicles. Russia/USSR flew its vehicle called `Buran' only once in 1988 and the program was then shelved. USA made 135 flights of the Space Shuttle and in 2011 it was retired. Since then in a new burst of energy, USA, China and India are the only countries having an active program of re-useable rocket development. If all goes as per plan India's full...

ISRO is getting ready for Gaganyaan Abort Test with Special Test Vehicle

The first abort test using the special test vehicle (TV) part of #Gaganyaan, which was earlier targeted for the last quarter of this calendar year, is now expected only in early 2023. ISRO chairman S Somanath told: “There’s been a lot of progress & at this juncture we're looking at the first test in early 2023. The test vehicle is already at SHAR (spaceport in Sriharikota) and work on the crew module (CM) and crew escape system (CES) is progressing. As reported earlier, the test — TV technology demonstrator-1 (TV-TD1) mission — will demonstrate the descent phase, parachute deployment and recovery, among other things. While there will be more than one TV-TDs, in the first one, the CM will separate from the TV at a height of around 11km (from sea level), attain an altitude of around 15km before falling back to back in the Bay of Bengal. The Sriharikota ground team will track. Once separated or ejected from TV, CM will have a free fall. Essentially, will demonstrate crew e...

AlphaRocketry

Search This Blog