Origin of key cosmic explosions still a mystery
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - 01:14
in Astronomy & Space
When a star explodes as a supernova, it shines so brightly that it can be seen from millions of light-years away. One particular supernova variety -- Type Ia -- brightens and dims so predictably that astronomers use them to measure the universe's expansion. The resulting discovery of dark energy and the accelerating universe rewrote our understanding of the cosmos. Yet the origin of these supernovae, which have proved so useful, remains unknown.