Stellar birth seen in flash of light from supernova slamming into nearby star
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 12:50
in Astronomy & Space
Using a "roadmap" of theoretical calculations and supercomputer simulations, astronomers observed a flash of light caused by a supernova slamming into a nearby star, allowing them to determine the stellar system from which a Type Ia supernova was born. This finding confirms one of two competing theories about Type Ia supernovae birth.