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Unusual Supernova is Doubly Unusual for Being Perfectly Normal

By Guest PostJuly 8, 2013Science2011fe data, berkeley lab, big dipper, expansion of universe, greg aldering, palomar transient factory, pinwheel galaxy, rollin thomas, rui pereira, snfactory, snfactory data, snifs, supernova 2011fe, type ia supernova

From the “Backyard Supernova,” the Berkeley Lab-led Nearby Supernova Factory has built a benchmark atlas for normal Type Ia’s

August, 2011, saw the dazzling appearance of the closest and brightest Type Ia supernova since Type Ia’s were established as “standard candles” for measuring the expansion of the universe. The brilliant visitor, labeled SN 2011fe, was caught by the Palomar Transient Factory less than 12 hours after it exploded in the Pinwheel Galaxy in the Big Dipper.

Easy to see through binoculars, 2011fe was soon dubbed the Backyard Supernova. Major astronomical studies from the ground and from space followed close on its heels, recording its luminosity and colors as it rapidly brightened and then slowly faded away. (more…)

NASA Telescopes Help Solve Ancient Supernova Mystery

PASADENA, Calif. — A mystery that began nearly 2,000 years ago, when Chinese astronomers witnessed what would turn out to be an exploding star in the sky, has been solved. New infrared observations from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, reveal how the first supernova ever recorded occurred and how its shattered remains ultimately spread out to great distances.

The findings show that the stellar explosion took place in a hollowed-out cavity, allowing material expelled by the star to travel much faster and farther than it would have otherwise. (more…)

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Unusual Supernova is Doubly Unusual for Being Perfectly Normal

NASA Telescopes Help Solve Ancient Supernova Mystery