Astronomers Capture First Direct View of supernova‘s Birth, Revealing Key to Stellar explosions
In a groundbreaking observation, an international team of astronomers has, for the first time, directly witnessed the shape of a star exploding in its earliest stages, offering crucial insights into the mechanics of supernovae. the findings, published today, detail the death of a red supergiant star – 12 to 15 times the mass of the sun and 500 times its radius – as it collapsed and exploded as a core-collapse supernova.
The team utilized spectropolarimetry, a technique analyzing the orientation of light waves, with the FORS2 instrument on the Very large Telescope (VLT) in the southern hemisphere. This allowed them to infer the geometry of the explosion despite the star appearing as a single point of light. Observations revealed the initial blast wave was ”olive-shaped,” indicating a faster surge along one axis, which later flattened while maintaining a consistent axis of symmetry.
This symmetry suggests an underlying order imposed by processes within the collapsing core. The observation supports a combined clarification for supernova formation, involving both neutrinos – ghostly subatomic particles – and magnetic forces channeling energy.
“These findings suggest a common physical mechanism that drives the explosion of many massive stars,” stated Dr. Yang, a researcher involved in the study.
“This discovery not only reshapes our understanding of stellar explosions, but also demonstrates what can be achieved when science transcends borders,” added Ferdinando Patat, an ESO astronomer and co-author.”It’s a powerful reminder that curiosity, collaboration, and swift action can unlock profound insights into the physics shaping our universe.”
