Cosmic dust survives obliteration in massive red supernova, NASA shows in stunning visual

FoxNews.com/Science ^ | Feb 11, 2019 | Christopher Carbone | Fox News

[ETL]

When dying red giant stars throw off material, dust particles form; those particles are later destroyed by supernova blast waves, which move through space at more than 6,000 miles per second, according to NASA.

Supernova explosions are among the most powerful events in the universe and can produce a brightness equivalent to the light from billions of individual stars, NASA reports, adding that the blast wave from these explosions will destroy almost everything in its path.

Observations from SOFIA — a Boeing747SP jetliner that's been modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope — tell a more mysterious story and show more than 10 times the dust expected.

The new study is based on scientific observations of Supernova 1987A, which was one of the brightest supernovae seen in 400 years when it was found more than 30 years ago. It also has a distinctive set of rings that are part of a cavity formed in an earlier, pre-explosion phase of the star's evolution.

[ßuddaßudd]

♪ Oh my starry eyed surprise, sundown to sunrise
I dance all night, we're gonna dance all night, dance all night to this DJ ♫

[arrogantsob]

Looks like the Eye of Sauron.

God truly drenched the Universe in Beauty.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“The ring is one light year in diameter.”

For comparison, the orbit of Pluto is 0.001 light years in diameter. So that ring is 1,000 times bigger than the Solar System.

[ETL]

Re: “The ring is one light year in diameter.”

Or about 5.9 trillion miles

[John O]

I had a 1974 Supernova!!

OK it was just a regular Nova but I had super times in it!!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

E=mc²

Mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted from one to another. In a nuclear explosion, mass is converted into energy.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks ETL.

join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

[Chode]

i guess what i don't understand is why we see a ring

when it exploded wasn't the explosion spherical and shouldn't subsequent debris field expand in the same fashion?

[ETL]

It's probably a sphere, where it's only visible along the edge. More transparent everywhere else.

Something like this...

[Monkey Face]

WOW! I stand all amazed...

Thanks for the beautiful pictures!

:o]

‘Face

[Chode]

OK... that works

[ETL]

I could be wrong.

[SunkenCiv]

That was one big kaboom!

[SunkenCiv]

---

The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire, and Famine in the History of Civilization by Richard Firestone, Allen West, and Simon Warwick-Smith

---

[Monkey Face]

Indeed! I wonder what it looked like up close and personal?

;o]

[SunkenCiv]

You'd have needed to apply some 5000 sunscreen.

[Darksheare]

Dust bunnies are bear indestructible.
They can be swept up and thrown out, but never destroyed.
They regenerate.

[NYer]

According to the government space agency, dust particles might be forming in the blast wave's wake, which gives astronomers new insights into how dust moves through space.

[Openurmind]

One thing about it that fascinates me is how much energy must be released. how would you even truly measure it? While we marvel at a decent sized Volcano, it is hard to imagine how powerful an event like this really is. It makes one feel pretty small and insignificant.

Thanks again for sharing this stuff.

[Monkey Face]

You'd have needed to apply some 5000 sunscreen.

Ya think? LOL!

:o])

'Face