A supernova that’s super different
A researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics believes that a new kind of supernova is at work in recent observations of bright but short-lasting stellar explosions that don’t appear to fit known categories. Hagai Perets began working on the problem after coming across a description of a 2002 supernova, discovered by University of California, Berkeley, researchers, whose description didn’t seem to fit into known categories. Instead of forgetting about it, he dove into past literature, looking for similar supernovas with unexplained characteristics. He found two, from 1885 and 1939. He eventually tracked down the spectrum of the 1939 supernova on an old photographic glass plate he obtained from the Carnegie Observatories. Spectrums are important because the light coming from stars varies depending on the elements present. By examining spectrums, astronomers can tell what a star is made of and compare that with the composition of others. After examining all the information that...