Image source, NASA/Josephine Larson
A purple neutron star has been found at the center of a bright “string of pearls” of extremely hot gas.
The explosion of a galaxy not very far from Earth in February 1987 was observable from Earth for several months. It is more than 100 million times brighter than our Sun, and has been a mystery for some time.
The important thing is that there is still a lot of debris floating in space. It was made earlier and even the most powerful telescopes cannot confirm it. What was left at the center of the explosion?
Recently, scientists were able to solve the mystery at the heart of this cosmic explosion. It was found that this was an extremely dense neutron star, and it is said that just one teaspoon of a neutron star could weigh up to 10 million tons.
Dr Maggie Adrienne Pocock, presenter of BBC's Sky at Night programme, said researchers had “solved another murder mystery”.
“This is the story of the death of a star. This mystery remains hidden, covered in dust and stellar debris,” she explains.
The explosion occurred from a giant star with a mass about 20 times the mass of our sun. Also known as an exploding blue giant star. Or what is known as the “supernova event,” astronomers call it “SN 1987A.”
This is considered the first supernova event. This cannot be observed with the naked eye until 400 years later, and comes from a star that was captured and detailed by astronomers before it exploded.
Dr. Adrian Pocock, who previously worked on a project aimed at solving the mysteries of the universe regarding the supernova SN 1987A, said that it was a truly giant star.
“The fact that it can be observed with the naked eye is what made this star famous outside the scientific community. Also, the supernova SN 1987A is very close and familiar to astronomers. Because it is not very far from Earth. “Scientists have been able to capture many details,” she explains. About the life cycle of a star.
Image source, BBC News/Stelios Thucydides
Artistic drawing: A neutron star collapses due to gravity due to its own weight. At the same time, the atoms that once gave it light are being tightly compressed.
Astronomers' observations of the supernova SN 1987A make it an ideal celestial laboratory. For use in investigating various theories regarding the death of stars. But there are still important pieces of the puzzle that still need to be answered. This is what remained at the center of this supernova event.
In theory, a star expires when it runs out of fuel in the nuclear reactions that keep it shining. The star's mass is so great that its gravity compresses its atoms and creates the densest objects in the universe, known as neutron stars. It will become a “black hole”.
But it will become a “neutron star” or a “black hole,” and this is an important thing that astronomers must know. Because every supernova creates a dispersion of heavy elements. Which helps in creating and supporting the birth of life in the universe
For this case, researchers writing in the journal Science say they have strong evidence. But it has not yet reached the point where we can be 100% confident. What remains in the center is a neutron star
A drawing showing the two paths that split after the supernova occurred.
Professor Claes Fransson from Stockholm University in Sweden said this, the leader of the study project, and this is the first time anyone has been able to verify this. What happens and what is created at the center of a supernova?
“We know that there is a small central source of ionizing radiation, which is most likely a neutron star. We have been looking for this since the time of the explosion. But we will have to wait until we can confirm it. Did things go as expected?”
The latest information indicates that the surface temperature of the neutron star is about one million degrees Celsius. Which cooled from its original temperature of 100 billion degrees Celsius
A newborn star
The team of astronomers will continue to monitor the supernova region for further study. To obtain more precise details about this explosion, the data will give astronomers an opportunity to monitor the appearance of early neutron stars. And compare them with other older stars regarding their development.
The observations will be made using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a powerful telescope. It has equipment that can record infrared images and is therefore able to see through space dust that has obscured human vision for a long time.
Professor Mike Barlow of UCLA said that although there was many indirect evidence, the James Webb Space Telescope's camera had detected direct evidence for the first time. This was the discovery that it was a neutron star.
“The question is whether or not it is a neutron star hiding behind that dust. It has been a mystery for more than 30 years, and it is very exciting that we can finally solve it.”
An important piece of evidence
Thirty-four astronomers from 12 countries analyzed data from the James Webb Space Telescope, and discovered light rays from atoms of elements such as argon and sulfur. It is an element created only by the powerful radiation of a neutron star at the center of a supernova.
Dr. Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society said that although there are no direct images of the neutron star, but from the information collected it is difficult to explain otherwise.
“If we're lucky in the next few years we may have a chance to see the neutron star clearly at its center. And get a closer look at this amazing creature in its first moments.
Therefore, although astronomy investigators still do not have a complete clue to this star-killing mystery, it must be assumed that they already have important clues.
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