Gemini North figures
Astronomers have imaged Pa 30, the only known supernova remnant of its kind in the Milky Way, in unprecedented detail with the Gemini North telescope. The object, left behind by an explosion observed about 850 years ago, in 1181, and recorded separately in Japanese, Chinese and Arabic sources of the time, lies about 7 thousand 500 light-years from Earth.
The new images revealed that the streaks, which at first glance resemble fireworks, are in fact long chains of knots, like pearls strung on a thread.
Solar System words
Each streak is wide enough to contain the Solar System many times over. At the center sits the “zombie star” left behind by the exploded star.
The remnant was first detected in 2013 by a citizen scientist.
Type Iax explanations
Scientists classify the explosion as a “Type Iax” supernova, one that does not completely destroy the star, and believe it was caused by the collision of two white dwarfs. White dwarfs are dense celestial objects the size of Earth, formed when dying stars collapse in on themselves.
Tim Cunningham data
Tim Cunningham of the University of Warwick, co-leader of the study, said there could be other similar remnants hidden in the darkness of the galaxy. Ilaria Caiazzo of the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology noted that these details can be seen thanks to the object’s proximity.
The research was published in The Astrophysical Journal.