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- A Supernova Cocoon Breakthrough
Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded. This discovery may help astronomers understand why some supernovas are much more powerful than others. On Nov. 3, 2010, a supernova was discovered in the galaxy UGC 5189A, located about 160 million light years away. Using data from the All Sky Automated Survey telescope in Hawaii taken earlier, astronomers determined this supernova exploded in early October 2010 (in Earth's time-frame). This composite image of UGC 5189A shows X-ray data from Chandra in purple and optical data from Hubble Space Telescope in red, green and blue. SN 2010jl is the very bright X-ray source near the top of the galaxy. A team of researchers used Chandra to observe this supernova in December 2010 and again in October 2011. The supernova was one of the most luminous that has ever been detected in X-rays. The results of these observations were published in a paper that appeared in the May 1, 2012 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Royal Military College of Canada/P.Chandra et al); Optical: NASA/STScI
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Daily Archives: April 23, 2008
G7 Comparison
Every so often you run across something that is refreshingly blunt. Mark Steyn has a post up that is one of those. It is a refreshing comparison of the United States relative position within the G7 group. It does some … Continue reading
Posted in Presidential Politics, Society
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NASA’s Future
I think everyone recognizes that the glamour that surrounded the space program of the 60′s and 70′s pretty much gone. The imagination that the program triggered in people during that period has been replaced but what is “more real” from … Continue reading
Posted in Presidential Politics
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