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Seeing a Stellar Collision Produce a Supernova for the First Time
Watching a stellar collision produce a supernova — a never-before seen sight!
In a star-forming dwarf galaxy 480 million light years from Earth, an ultra-dense stellar remnant — likely a black hole or neutron star — collided with its stellar companion.
Astronomers on Earth have long postulated that such collisions could take place in certain binary star systems.
“Theorists had predicted that this could happen, but this is the first time we’ve actually seen such an event,” said Dillon Dong, a graduate student at Caltech and lead author on a paper reporting the discovery, published in the journal Science.
Join us on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion on 21 September, when we talk with Dillon Dong about this historic discovery.
When Housemates Go Bad…
The lifetime of a star is entirely dependent on its mass — more massive stars burn hotter and die younger.
