Action replay of powerful stellar explosion

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A panoramic view of the Large Magellanic Cloud shows the location of the supernova remnant 0509-67.5 and a light echo that was generated when the massive progenitor star exploded. Chandras image (upper right) shows the circular shape of the remnant d ...
A panoramic view of the Large Magellanic Cloud shows the location of the supernova remnant 0509-67.5 and a light echo that was generated when the massive progenitor star exploded. Chandra's image (upper right) shows the circular shape of the remnant detected in X-ray light. Optical data from ground-based telescopes show this light echo (lower right) traveling through space. This result marks the first time researchers combined two separate methods to estimate the energy of a supernova explosion. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers Optical: NOAO/AURA/NSF

Astronomers have made the best ever determination of the power of a supernova explosion that was visible from Earth long ago. By observing the remnant of a supernova and a light echo from the initial outburst, they have established the validity of a powerful new method for studying supernovas.


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