Supernovae of the Same Brightness, Cut From Vastly Different Cosmic Cloth
Berkeley Lab researchers make historic observation of rare Type 1a Supernova
Exploding stars called Type 1a supernova are ideal for measuring cosmic distance because they are bright enough to spot across the Universe and have relatively the same luminosity everywhere. Although astronomers have many theories about the kinds of star systems involved in these explosions (or progenitor systems), no one has ever directly observed one—until now. (more…)