A study has traced a supernova, an exploding star, from 10.5 billion years ago, that could help understand the origins of the Universe.
Scientists have confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected – a huge cosmic explosion that took place 10.5 billion years ago, or three-quarters the age of the universe. A supernova is the explosion of a massive star at the end of its life cycle.
HOME TECHNOLOGYSCIENCEMost distant supernova ever dates back 10.5 billion years: StudyA study has traced a supernova, an exploding star, from 10.5 billion years ago, that could help understand the origins of the Universe.
By: PTI | London |Published: February 20, 2018 9:43 pm
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DES16C2nm is classified as a superluminous supernova (SLSN), the brightest and rarest class of supernovae. (Image Source: University of Southampton)
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Scientists have confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected – a huge cosmic explosion that took place 10.5 billion years ago, or three-quarters the age of the universe. A supernova is the explosion of a massive star at the end of its life cycle.
The exploding star, named DES16C2nm, was detected by the Dark Energy Survey (DES), an international collaboration to map several hundred million galaxies in order to find out more about dark energy – the mysterious force believed to be causing the accelerated expansion of the universe. As detailed in the study published in The Astrophysical Journal, light from the event has taken 10.5 billion years to reach Earth, making it the oldest supernova ever discovered and studied.
The universe itself is thought to be 13.8 billion years old. DES16C2nm is classified as a superluminous supernova (SLSN), the brightest and rarest class of supernovae, first discovered ten years ago, thought to be caused by material falling onto the densest object in the universe – a rapidly rotating neutron star newly formed in the explosion of a massive star.
“It is thrilling to be part of the survey that has discovered the oldest known supernova. DES16C2nm is extremely distant, extremely bright, and extremely rare – not the sort of thing you stumble across every day as an astronomer,” said lead author of the study Mathew Smith, of the University of Southampton in the UK.
Space is scary