Supernova factory discovered 250 million light years away

Astronomers at Chalmers and Onsala Space Observatory have discovered seven supernovae – previously unknown – in a galaxy 250 million light years away. This is the first time so many supernovae have been discovered in the same galaxy, acting as supporting evidence for the long-suspected theory that the universe’s most efficient star factories are also supernova factories.

Fabien Batejat, main author of the article detailing the results, said, “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.” The team used a network of radio telescopes in five countries to create extremely sharp images of the galaxy, known as Arp 220. Around 40 radio sources were observed in the centre of the galaxy, hidden to the eye of an ordinary telescope by thick layers of dust and gas. Radio wave lengths were used to identify seven of the radio sources as supernovae.

The rate at which stars are being formed in this galaxy is considerably faster than the Milky Way. Rodrigo Parra, astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile and member of the team, explains, “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.”

Click here to read the full report.

Published: Friday, 30th September 2011 by Ellen Haggan