Scientists gained new information about the first supernova known in human history.
This is what the gas cloud RCW 86 looks like. Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Eight thousand years ago, a strange Phenomenon was visible in the direction between the constellations of Lyra and Centauri. This was first seen on earth around the year 185, when Chinese astronomers wrote about a strange star appearing in the sky.
It was not an alien star, but an explosion, the remains of which can still be seen. The explosion itself is known as SN 185, but the gas cloud left behind is known as RCW 86.
Unprecedentedly accurate pictures of the remains of the explosion have now been obtained. The images were taken by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) telescope at the Cerro Tololo observatory in Chile. NSF informed about it In the beginning of March.
The camera connected to the telescope, developed for the study of dark matter, has enabled unprecedentedly accurate images.
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The essence of dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries of science, which is being sought to be solved.
A white dwarf explodes
The explosion (SN 185) occurred 8,000 light years away. A light year is a unit of measurement used in astronomy to measure the distance traveled by light during a year. In the vacuum of space, light travels approx 300,000 kilometers in a second, so the explosion in question did not happen right next door.
The explosion in question is the first supernova known in human history. A supernova is a phenomenon resulting from the explosion of a star.
Supernovas can arise as two different stars explode. The birth of a supernova can result when a small white dwarf-type star in a binary star system increases its mass too much. As a point of comparison, you can think of filling a water balloon so big that it explodes.
NASA’s sketch of how a white dwarf could gather mass into itself. NASA
Another option is when a massive star burns itself out and collapses. In the case of SN 185, it was the explosion of a white dwarf.
The most powerful supernova known
According to previous studies, it would take at least 10,000 years for the gas cloud produced by the supernova to expand to the dimensions of RCW 86. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the SN 185 explosion is the most powerful supernova known.
– Supernovae of this type appear the brightest. At its brightest, SN 185 has been a wonderful sight for astronomers, NSF researchers said in their release.
Supernovae are beautiful. The crab nebula in the picture is one of the most famous supernova remnants. EPA/HO
Space Agency According to NASA supernovae occur in Milky Way-type galaxies two or three times per century. The Milky Way is the galaxy where our solar system and planet earth are located. Due to space dust, supernovae in the Milky Way are difficult to see.
The discovery has been reported, among other things, by an online publication Space.