2,000-year-old stellar mystery solved

[underpants]

Source: CBS News

(CBS/AP) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronomers finally know why the first documented supernova was super-sized.


The exploded star was observed by the ancient Chinese in the year 185, and visible for eight months. It was later found to be a bigger-than-expected supernova remnant, 8,000 light years away.

New observations in the infrared show the explosion took place in a cavity in space. Researchers said that this "hollowed-out cavity" of space was relatively free of gas and dust, thus allowing the stellar shrapnel to shoot faster and farther out into the universe.

The star - similar to our sun - died peacefully and turned into a dense white dwarf. It sucked up material from another star, and then exploded in a supernova.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-20124978/2000-year-old-stellar-mystery-solved/

[randome]

1. Whew!

Now I can sleep at night. (And I love science and astronomy, this just sounds...eh.)

[UnrepentantLiberal]

2. I thought it was cool.

[AlbertCat]

3. I thought it was cool.

It is.

The "general trend" of all science seems to show how the tiniest of conditions effect, and those effects multiply over time until they are huge effects, just about any phenomenon you care to name. One can apply this trend to just about anything.

[SkyDaddy7]

4. Science is far more interesting...

And exciting than Bronze Age Myths!

[Submariner]

5. I would love to be around the day when a Super Hubble-like telescope

arrives at the very outer edge of our universe, about 14 billion light years away in today's measurement, and takes ultra-deep field photos of the infinite darkness to show we are surrounded by billions of other universes in all directions.

Of course, since our solar system has only 5 billion years to go before it goes cold and dark, our ancestors will have had to move on to another younger galaxy themselves to accomplish this, but it could be done. It's a bummer that our life span is less than a blink of the eye in the cosmic time scale, but it is what it is.

If I offended any of you 6,000 year old universe types, well tough poop on you.

[valerief]

6. Died peacefully? I hope that's anthropomorphism. nt

[Nihil]

7. Sounds like Michael Jackson ...

> The star ... died peacefully and turned into a dense white dwarf.

:hide:

[callous taoboy]

8. I saw a petroglyph of this done by the Anasazi At Chaco Canyon.

Must of been a real trip.