Scientists observed the explosion of a star in real time for the first time

Supernovae can be much more violent than we thought.

For the first time, astronomers have witnessed the explosion of a massive star into a fiery supernova, and the spectacle was even more spectacular than experts had predicted.

According to research published in the Astrophysical Journal, scientists began observing the doomed star, a red supergiant called SN 2020tlf and located approximately 120 million light years from Earth, more than 100 days before its latest catastrophic collapse. The researchers observed that the star burst with dazzling bursts of light as large balls of gas exploded from the star’s surface during that time.

Scientists watched a star explode in real time for the first time ever |  Live Science

The researchers noted that previous observations of red supergiants preparing to explode showed no signs of strong emissions, so these pre-supernova fireworks came as a big surprise.

In a statement, the study’s lead author, Wynn Jacobson-Galán, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, said: “This is a milestone in our understanding of what huge stars do moments before they die.” “We saw a red supergiant star explode for the first time!”

When the big stars explode

In terms of volume, red supergiants are the largest stars in the cosmos, measuring hundreds or even thousands of times the radius of the sun. (Despite their size, red supergiants are neither the brightest nor the most massive stars in the sky.)

These huge stars, like our sun, create energy through nuclear fusion in their cores. Red supergiants, on the other hand, can generate elements considerably heavier than the hydrogen and helium that our sun burns because they are so massive. The cores of supergiants become hotter and more pressured as they burn larger components. These stars eventually run out of energy as they begin to fuse iron and nickel, their cores collapse, and their gaseous outer atmospheres are ejected into space in a violent type II supernova explosion.

Scientists have detected red supergiants before they become supernovae and analyzed the consequences of these cosmic explosions, but they have never before observed the entire process in real time.

In the summer of 2020, the authors of the new study began studying SN 2020tlf, when the star was flashing with dazzling bursts of radiation that scientists later interpreted as gas gushing from the star’s surface. Researchers tracked the irritable star for 130 days using two telescopes in Hawaii: the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope and the WM Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. The star finally exploded at the end of that time frame.

Researchers noticed a dense cloud of gas surrounding the star at the time of its explosion, which they believe was the same gas that the star had ejected in the previous months. This shows that the intense explosions began long before the star’s core disintegrated in the fall of 2020.

“Until now, we have never seen such dramatic activity in a dying red supergiant star, where we witness it emit such bright emission, then collapse and burn,” study co-author and UC Berkeley astrophysicist said in a statement. Raffaella Margutti.

These findings show that red supergiants undergo major internal structural changes, resulting in chaotic gas explosions in their final months before collapsing, according to scientists.

Related Posts

MSNBC Fires Joy Reid: ‘Your Endorsement is Damaging Our Network Ratings’-baobao

In a move that has shocked the media world, MSNBC has decided to part ways with Joy Reid, the host of *The ReidOut*, citing concerns over her…

HOT NEWS: Elon Musk Sues The View And Whoopi Goldberg For $80 Million, “They’re Lying About Me”-baobao

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, caused a stir when he decided to sue the famous TV show “The View” and veteran actor Whoopi Goldberg, alleging…

BREAKING NEWS: James Woods Refuses To Do A Veteran Movie With Richard Gere “Never With That Woke Clown”.-baobao

James Woods, an actor known for his thorny roles and straightforward style, sparked a new controversy when he refused to participate in a movie about veterans with…

Elon Musk Drops $790M to Buy ABC Company and Cancels ‘The View’ after Alec Baldwin Calls Him a ‘Scumbag’ on this Show.-baobao

In what can only be described as the ultimate billionaire power move, Elon Musk has reportedly shelled out a casual $790 million to acquire ABC Company, the…

BREAKING: Jerry Jones Admits Regrets Over Rushing Cowboys Rookies Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe into Starting Roles-bb

Jerry Jones Admits Regrets Over Rushing Cowboys Rookies Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe into Starting Roles Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made waves this week with a…

BREAKING: Mark Wahlberg And Mel Gibson Announce Non-Woke Movie “You Can’t Cancel America” Starring Keanu Reeves-baobao

Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson have officially announced their latest cinematic venture, *You Can’t Cancel America*, a new non-woke movie featuring none other than Keanu Reeves. The…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *