New supernova remnant lights up
This HST image of SN 1987A shows the brightening ring of supernova debris. The closest supernova explosion seen in almost 400 years, it is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Credit: Pete Challis (CfA)
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 1987, light from an exploding star in a neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, reached Earth. Named Supernova 1987A, it was the closest supernova explosion witnessed in almost 400 years, allowing astronomers to study it in unprecedented detail as it evolves.
Today a team of astronomers announced that the supernova debris, which has faded over the years, is brightening. This shows that a different power source has begun to light the debris, and marks the transition from a supernova to a supernova remnant.
"Supernova 1987A has become the youngest supernova remnant visible to us," said Robert Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
Kirshner leads a long-term study of SN 1987A with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has provided a continuous record of the changes in SN 1987A.
As shown in the accompanying image, SN 1987A is surrounded by a ring of material that blew off the progenitor star thousands of years before it exploded. The ring is about one light-year (6 trillion miles) across. Inside that ring, the "guts" of the star are rushing outward in an expanding debris cloud.
Most of a supernova's light comes from radioactive decay of elements created in the explosion. As a result, it fades over time. However, the debris from SN 1987A has begun to brighten, suggesting that a new power source is lighting it.
"It’s only possible to see this brightening because SN 1987A is so close and Hubble has such sharp vision," Kirshner said.
A supernova remnant consists of material ejected from an exploding star, as well as the interstellar material it sweeps up. The debris of SN 1987A is beginning to impact the surrounding ring, creating powerful shock waves that generate X-rays observed with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Those X-rays are illuminating the supernova debris and shock heating is making it glow. The same process powers well-known supernova remnants in our galaxy like Cassiopeia A.
Because it's so young, the remnant of SN 1987A still shows the history of the last few thousand years of the star's life recorded in the knots and whorls of gas. By studying it further, astronomers may decode that history.
"Young supernova remnants have personality," Kirshner agreed.
Eventually, that history will be lost when the bulk of the expanding stellar debris hits the surrounding ring and shreds it. Until then, SN 1987A continues to offer an unprecedented opportunity to watch a cosmic object change over the course of a human lifetime. Few other objects in the sky evolve on such short time-scales.
This research appears in a paper in the June 9, 2011 issue of Nature. The first author is Josefin Larsson (University of Stockholm).
Provided by
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
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Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 2.7 / 5 (9)
Does this mean that we are not alone? That we share the universe with an advanced species of intergalactic chickens?
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 1.6 / 5 (7)
It must be a sign from Yowae.
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 3.4 / 5 (5)
I'm a bit confused as to why this "new" observation of the brightening of the circumstellar ring surrounding SN 1987A is newsworthy. The eventual collision of material from the SN was predicted (and observed) some time ago.
A HST movie of the ring brightening of SN 1987A from 1994 to 2006 can be viewed here: http://www.youtub...71_n7CFQ
(also note the changes in the peculiar central nebular region over this time period too)
Similar observations by Chandra also followed the gradual brightening of the ring in X-rays, just as expected: http://arxiv.org/...09v1.pdf
(note the progressive ring brightening in X-rays shown in Fig. 1)
It seems as the brightening of this CS ring "like pearls on a string" is a well documented fact (and a QUITE impressive display of a young SNR taking shape).
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 4.7 / 5 (12)
I think it's a sign from our evolutionary past telling us that human brains tend to see faces in random shapes.
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 4.3 / 5 (6)
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 2.7 / 5 (6)
I reach. But now I'm thinking that the chicken head might actually be resolving over time into the image of Homer Simpson.
Doh!
Jun 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 2.6 / 5 (5)
Think of the children.
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
No, the egg was formed before SN 1987A exploded, and the chicken formed after. So the egg came first, but everyone knew that all along, right?
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Ethelred
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 1.9 / 5 (9)
The SN1987A explosion occurred remarkably like the supernova explosion that was proposed in 1976 to explain the formation of the solar system:
www.omatumr.com/Origin.htm
If like the birth of the solar system, elements like Fe, Ni and S will be closer to the SN core and light elements like H, He, C and N will be in the outer region of the ring.
With kind regards
Oliver K. Manuel
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
Actually, that "chicken head" represents the rarely seen inner ejecta of a SN. Recent IFS observations of the inner ejecta region of 1987A has allowed astronomers to create 3-D velocity maps that help elucidate the nature and geometry of this feature: http://www.eso.or...1032.pdf
It turns out that this feature is not bipolar in nature (as previously proposed) but seems to show orientation close to that of the equatorial plane of the progenitor. Kinematic analysis of the ejecta seems to show two extensions of different radial velocities projected in the plane of the sky.
That the inner ejecta is not co-planar with the outer rings of the SN supports the view that SN1987A was an asymmetric event (and thus may have imparted a 'kick' to the [presumed] neutron star). These new observations also contradict an earlier proposed jet-induced explosion mechanism.
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 4.3 / 5 (6)
IFS observations show that this inner eject is NOT co-planar with the EQ ring. Do you know of similar observations of SN1987A that show otherwise? See the 2010 paper I linked to above.
"The SN1987A explosion occurred remarkably like the supernova explosion that was proposed in 1976 to explain the formation of the solar system...."
So do you know of a NR-derived SED for SN1987A, to, say, compare with the observed SED?
"If like the birth of the solar system, elements like Fe, Ni and S will be closer to the SN core and light elements like H, He, C and N will be in the outer region of the ring."
Observations of 1987A reveal strong mixing of elements in the SN debris field. See my previous link.
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 1.4 / 5 (10)
You found proof of our evolutionary past? WHERE? lol noob
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (8)
noob? Paulie has been here since 2009, you oozed out of your primate past to spread ignorance on this site January 30, 2011, 11:10 am which shows that you not only don't have a clue about science you are without a clue as to what noob means.
Where is the evidence for the Great Flood and when did it occur oh clueless newbie?
Ethelred
Jun 09, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
"There was an amazing video of two smoke rings colliding together, showed the same pearly effect, probably same or similar mechanics."
Actually, three bright rings formed from material from the stellar wind of the progenitor of SN1987A are visible: http://en.wikiped...987a.jpg
These rings were promptly photoioninzed by the UV flash of the SN and did not appear for several months following the event.
Using precision observations of the size of the inner ring allowed researchers to determine an accurate distance to SN1987A of ~51kpc (168kly):
http://articles.a...ype=.pdf
also see:
http://en.wikiped...of_light
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
I now see from their paper published in Nature that evidence indicates SN1987A has made the transition from a radioactively dominated phase (primarily in the form of positrons from the decay of 44Ti) to a phase dominated by the X-ray emission from the collisionally excited nuclear ring.
Images from HST collected over the past 15 years were analyzed photometrically and compared to X-ray data and models of the X-ray flux of SN1987A. These data indicate the SN has entered a new, never-before-seen transition in the life of an extremely young SNR.
A version of the Nature paper can be found here: http://hubblesite.../pdf.pdf
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
What was that Iraqi's nickname?... Baghdad Bob? You know, Saddam Hussein's spokesman that went on live TV denying the Americans were in Baghdad, while U.S. tanks were rolling down the street behind him?
You're just like him. There are millions of people in the world either not tied to religion from birth, or open minded enough to see the evidence, even though they WERE or HAVE BEEN tied to a religion from birth, but are able to accept the obvious facts right in front of them. They study, they read up in, they find more information, then you, having actively avoided it, knowing only what your willfully ignorant leaders tell you about evolution, step into the middle of a knowlefgable, educated crowd and tell them what they've seen their whole lives doesn't exist, and to top it off, you, who are completely ignorant of the facts, call THEM newbs???
I henceforth declare your new nickname to be Evolutionary Ed.
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
Go ahead. Explain it. All us "noobs" are waiting with baited breath. If you ignore the question, like kv has forever, you'll have zero credibility. This is YOUR moment. You're on stage, in public, the microphone is open, the crowd is silent, all looking directly at you. SPEAK!
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (3)
Here...
http://www.proof-...ion.com/
This is a web site BY A CHRISTIAN who fully believes in evolution. I picked this site specifically for you.
BTW, jumping into this site with insults is NOT following Christ's teachings. So, you've lost on credibility on two major accounts:
1. Spouting your ignorance of reality.
2. Acting against the teachings of the religion you profess to be true.
Still waiting on your answer to why we can see Supernova 1987a. The floor is yours. GO!
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (3)
Explain your 1 rating. And, you'll need to explain how what I said was wrong.
For your reference, here's a link explaining the distance:
http://www.don-li...nce.html
God demands that you be honest, as well as the rest of us. Voting a 1 on a sound, logical argument, without providing an explanation is dishonest and hence, is against God.
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
http://www.physor...user/A2G
Jun 10, 2011
Rank: 4.2 / 5 (5)
I sure Jesus/Jehovah will bless him for all eternity for supporting Oliver. Perhaps they will both get to stay in the same pit in the mythical version of Gehenna.
The latest Culture novel by Ian M. Banks has actual hells. Some cultures in the series have afterlifes via uploading into simulated worlds. Some of them are intentional hells for punishment after death. The people that create these monstrous afterlifes remind me of idiots like Asst2god and particularly QC.
Ethelred
Jun 11, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Yep. I sent him a PM to let him know he's not being very Christian like and posted a a link back to here to let him know we're all waiting on a response. So, he has no excuse for not responding now, short of illness, death, or that he just happens to never return to the site to see that he has a PM.
Jun 11, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
What is the name of the QuackTard proposed that nonsense?
Jun 11, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
Gawad created the light in transit to challenge the faithful.
Jun 11, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
hehe. Yah, I love that one. We call it "last wednesdayism", meaning, well, he could have created the universe last Wednesday and inserted all our memories, so we'd never know the diff. I'm just waiting for one of them to propose that before I unleash on it.
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 1.8 / 5 (5)
The form of the nebula was not predicted - the idea that thousands of years ago the star threw off a cloud of gas that the explosion later plowed into is an after-the-fact, ad-hoc theory. The double-cone form (the two fainter rings cropped out of the article's picture) with the intense filamentary discharges in the central ring (shown) matches observation of lab plasmas undergoing a z-pinch far better than it does the "conventional" after-the-fact face-saving explanations .
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 1.8 / 5 (5)
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 3.6 / 5 (5)
Funny how when one brave plasma fan actually tried out the actual theory on the Sun he got a power level that was around a tenth of what the Sun really puts out. And that was with fully maximized handwaving to get the most power even a Crank could come up with.
Interestingly enough when I pointed this out here to one of the Cranks those numbers disappeared from the three main Electric Crank sites. The theory is still there and just as deficient as ever.
The effects of currents in plasma MAY be under estimated by real scientists but the level of handwaving by the Electric Cranks should be enough for them to all fly South for the Winter.
Ethelred
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 1.8 / 5 (5)
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
And yes I have seen that bogus claim of long distance before. Nothing you said is new to me. It is likely that we had this conversation before since you Plasma cranks keep changing your logins. Even to the point of claiming to be new in the case of Yep who has made the claim of being new many times.>>
Jun 13, 2011
Rank: 3.4 / 5 (5)
You guys are Cranks. Your thinking is based on nonsense made up about Alfven. You got caught. You took down the evidence but kept the rest of the nonsenses.
The only real question is are you Yep or one the people that have been gulled by Yep who once claimed to own at least one of the sites. They are clearly related and may even all be from the same person. Cranks love to pose as multiple people to make it look as if they have support.
Ethelred
Jun 16, 2011
Rank: 1.8 / 5 (5)
Jun 16, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (6)
Go ahead, give evidence that Alfven ideas were tested in inter galactic space.
Ethelred