Rare 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' star survives death by supernova, returns stronger and brighter
By Brandon Specktor published about 14 hours ago
In a galaxy far, far away, a celestial "force ghost" appears for the first time.
An 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' star in a distant galaxy survived its own supernova explosion, appearing again even brighter than before. (Image credit: MCCULLY ET AL.)
In 2012, a shriveled white star in a nearby galaxy reached the end of its life and exploded in a violent, thermonuclear supernova. Such explosions — known as type 1a supernovas — are a common end for billions of stars in our universe, typically resulting in the utter obliteration of the old star at the heart of the blast.
But this time, something went wrong.
As the old star blew up from the inside out, the explosion failed to reach the power and brightness of a typical type 1a supernova. When the dust settled years later, scientists observing the stellar wreckage saw that the old star hadn't vanished at all — it was still there, even bigger and brighter than before.
Somehow, the star had survived its own supernova explosion — a cosmic magic trick never seen before. Now, in a study published in the The Astrophysical Journal, researchers attempt to explain how it happened.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/obi-wan-kenobi-supernova
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