A star exploded and scientists captured a picture of the violent explosion

Boom.

Last month astronomers spotted a star that exploded in the giant Pinwheel galaxy some 21 million light-years away – relatively close in cosmic terms. The explosion of a massive star collapsing in on itself, called a supernova, created a brilliant point of light in the Milky Way, a light that can currently be seen with a small telescope.

Now, astronomers have pointed a powerful telescope space detonate, and you can see a continuous bright flash. The giant, eight-meter (over 26 feet) wide Gemini North telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea at 13,824 feet captured this supernova event.

where is? The supernova, called “SN 2023ixf”, is the bright blue dot of light located at the far left of the image on one of the spiral arms of the Pinwheel galaxy (a popular stargazing object also known as “Messier 101”). SundayAnd Earth also resides in a spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy, although our medium-sized star is not massive enough to explode violently.

It is somewhat rare to see such a fiery supernova.

“This is the closest supernova to be discovered within the last five years and the second supernova to occur in Messier 101 within the last 15 years, after a Type I supernova. seen in 2011“The National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab – which operates large telescopes across the US and elsewhere – said in a statement,

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Beyond the dazzling supernova, this NOIRLab image shows vivid pink clumps of light. These are regions of star formation within giant, rotating clouds of dust and gas. The massive galaxy, which is about twice the diameter of our Milky Way, is also full of extremely hot, blue stars. There are at least one 100 billion stars in our Milky Way, but “M101 is estimated to contain at least a trillion stars,” NASA explains,

In our galaxy, there are massive stars that are about to explode or are coming close. Some red giant stars, such as Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation, will appear extremely bright in the night sky, outshining all other stars when it finally explodes.

Keep watching

“We don’t know where the next supernova will come from,” Ya Grauer, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Portsmouth who researches supernovas, recently told Mashable.

Boom.

Last month astronomers spotted a star that exploded in the giant Pinwheel galaxy some 21 million light-years away – relatively close in cosmic terms. The explosion of a massive star collapsing in on itself, called a supernova, created a brilliant point of light in the Milky Way, a light that can currently be seen with a small telescope.

Now, astronomers have pointed a powerful telescope space detonate, and you can see a continuous bright flash. The giant, eight-meter (over 26 feet) wide Gemini North telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea at 13,824 feet captured this supernova event.

where is? The supernova, called “SN 2023ixf”, is the bright blue dot of light located at the far left of the image on one of the spiral arms of the Pinwheel galaxy (a popular stargazing object also known as “Messier 101”). SundayAnd Earth also resides in a spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy, although our medium-sized star is not massive enough to explode violently.

It is somewhat rare to see such a fiery supernova.

“This is the closest supernova to be discovered within the last five years and the second supernova to occur in Messier 101 within the last 15 years, after a Type I supernova. seen in 2011“The National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab – which operates large telescopes across the US and elsewhere – said in a statement,

want more Science More tech news delivered straight to your inbox? sign up for Mashable’s Light Speed ​​newsletter Today.

Beyond the dazzling supernova, this NOIRLab image shows vivid pink clumps of light. These are regions of star formation within giant, rotating clouds of dust and gas. The massive galaxy, which is about twice the diameter of our Milky Way, is also full of extremely hot, blue stars. There are at least one 100 billion stars in our Milky Way, but “M101 is estimated to contain at least a trillion stars,” NASA explains,

In our galaxy, there are massive stars that are about to explode or are coming close. Some red giant stars, such as Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation, will appear extremely bright in the night sky, outshining all other stars when it finally explodes.

Keep watching

“We don’t know where the next supernova will come from,” Ya Grauer, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Portsmouth who researches supernovas, recently told Mashable.