rare Early Light from Supernova Explosion Capturedโฃ by VLTโข Telescope
Chile – April 22, 2024 – Astronomers have, for the first time, observed the initial phase of a supernova explosion, providingโฃ unprecedented insight into theโ death of a massive star. The event, designated SN โฃ2024ggi, was initially detected on April 10, 2024,โข by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Within 26 hours, a team utilized the Very large Telescope โข(VLT) in Chile to study โขthe explosion’s earliest stages.
SN 2024ggi occurred inโ galaxy NGC 3621, located approximately 22 million light-years awayโ in the constellation Hydra. The progenitor star is estimated to have been 12-15โ times the mass of our Sun.
Supernovas result from the โcollapse of a star’s core when outward radiation pressure from nuclear fusion can no longer counteract gravity. This collapse triggers a powerful shock wave that ultimatelyโฃ explodes theโ star. While the suddenโ brightening of a supernova is โฃwell-documented, the formation and propagation of these shock waves remain a key area of study.
Using spectropolarimetry with theโ FORS2โข instrument – the only such facility in the Southern Hemisphere – VLT scientists discovered the initial light from SN 2024ggi was not emitted uniformly. Data revealed an elongated shock wave, resembling an olive, indicating the explosion was not perfectlyโ spherical. Thisโ shapeโ persistedโ as the hydrogen-rich outer layers became visible around day 10, suggesting a stable explosion direction โขfrom the outset.
This observation is expected to refineโข existing supernova models and enhance understanding of massive star destruction.