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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Supernova revealed in stunning detail: Massive dust remnants from an exploding star could help explain early galaxy formation

Supernova revealed in stunning detail: Massive dust remnants from an exploding star could help explain early galaxy formation | Mail Online: "Our galaxy can be a very dusty place, and supernovae are thought to be a main source of that dust - especially in the early universe.

This artist's illustration shows Supernova 1987A, based on real data with the cold, inner regions of the exploded star's remnants (in red) where tremendous amounts of dust were detected and imaged. This inner region is contrasted with the outer shell (lacy white and blue circles), where the blast wave from the supernova is colliding with the envelope of gas ejected from the star prior to its powerful detonation

But up until now, there has been very little direct evidence of a supernova's dust‐making capabilities. The little evidence astronomers did have could not account for the massive amount of dust detected in young, distant galaxies. Now new images of the famed Supernova 1987A have, for the first time, captured the remains of the exploding star brimming with freshly formed dust."
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