Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




SKY NIGHTLY
Astronomers reveal supernova factory
by Staff Writers
Onsala, Sweden (SPX) Oct 06, 2011


"In Arp 220, we see far more supernovae than in our galaxy. We estimate that a star explodes in Arp 220 once every quarter. In the Milky Way, there is only one supernova per century," says Rodrigo Parra, astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile and member of the team.

The discovery proves what astronomers have long believed: that the galaxies which are the universe's most efficient star-factories are also supernova factories. The astronomers used a worldwide network of radio telescopes in five countries, including Sweden, to be able to create extremely sharp images of the galaxy Arp 220.

The scientists observed around 40 radio sources in the center of the galaxy Arp 220. These radio sources are hidden behind thick layers of dust and gas and invisible in ordinary telescopes. To discover the nature of these radio sources, they made measurements at different radio wavelengths and watched how they changed over several years.

"With all the data in place, we can now be certain that all seven of these sources are supernovae: stars that exploded in the last 60 years," says Fabien Batejat, main author of the article about the discovery.

So many supernovae have never before been detected in the same galaxy. The number is nevertheless consistent with how fast stars are forming in Arp 220.

"In Arp 220, we see far more supernovae than in our galaxy. We estimate that a star explodes in Arp 220 once every quarter. In the Milky Way, there is only one supernova per century," says Rodrigo Parra, astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile and member of the team.

John Conway is professor of observational radio astronomy at Chalmers and deputy director of Onsala Space Observatory.

"Arp 220 is well-known as a place where star formation is very efficient. Now we have been able to show that star factories like this are also supernova factories," he says.

The radio measurements have also given researchers insight into how radio waves are generated in supernovae and their remnants.

"Our measurements show that a supernova's own magnetic field is what gives rise to its radio emission, not the magnetic fields in the galaxy around it," says Fabien Batejat.

.


Related Links
Onsala Space Observatory
Astronomy News from Skynightly.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SKY NIGHTLY
The 'Pacman Nebula'
Boston MA (SPX) Oct 05, 2011
High-mass stars are important because they are responsible for much of the energy pumped into our galaxy over its lifetime. Unfortunately, these stars are poorly understood because they are often found relatively far away and can be obscured by gas and dust. The star cluster NGC 281 is an exception to this rule. It is located about 9,200 light years from Earth and, remarkably, almost ... read more


SKY NIGHTLY
NASA Invites Students to Name Moon-Bound Spacecraft

NASA Partners Uncover New Hypothesis On Crater Debris

China to launch moon-landing probe around 2013

United Launch Alliance Launches GRAIL Spacecrafts To Moon

SKY NIGHTLY
NASA Mars Rovers Win Popular Mechanics 'Breakthrough' Award

The Strange Attraction of Gale Crater

Opportunity Studies Rock Interior

Mars Express finds water supersaturation in the Martian atmosphere

SKY NIGHTLY
U.S. sues astronaut over space camera

AAS Society Members Win 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics

NASA's Next Generation Spacecraft Brought to Life by a New Generation of Students

NASA Selects Science Investigations For Concept Studies

SKY NIGHTLY
Takeoff For Tiangong

Snafu as China space launch set to US patriotic song

Civilians given chance to reach for the stars

Tiangong-1 Forms Cornerstone Of China's Space Odyssey

SKY NIGHTLY
DLR ROKVISS robotic arm returns from space

Commercial space deliveries 'within months': NASA

Private US capsule not to dock with ISS

Crew safely returns to Earth after crash

SKY NIGHTLY
Russia launches US telecoms satellite into orbit

First Vega starts journey to Europe's Spaceport

Arianespace to launch Mexican satellite Mexsat 3

Russia's Soyuz-2.1B carrier rocket orbits Glonass satellite

SKY NIGHTLY
Heavy Metal Stars Produce Earth-Like Planets

Doubts Over Fomalhaut b

Earth's Trapped Gas Fed the Early Atmosphere

From the Comfort of Home, Web Users May Have Found New Planets

SKY NIGHTLY
SSTL redefines the cost of radar imaging with NovaSAR-S

EDRS: an independent data-relay system for Europe becoming reality

Samsung seeks sales ban on new iPhone

On sale now in China: the 'iPhone 5'




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement