The cosmic mystery is solved after 900 years: the supernova first detected on China in 1181 is identified as Pa30, a nebula that surrounds one of the hottest stars in the Milky Way.
- Astronomers have solved a 900-year-old mystery about the origins of a supernova
- It was first seen over China in 1181, visible for six months and as bright as Saturn
- A weak and rapid expansion of the nebula called Pa30 has now been identified as a source of explosion
- Experts said Pa30 fits the profile, location and age of the 12th century supernova
Finally, a 900-year-old cosmic mystery surrounding the origins of a supernova first detected in China in 1181 has been solved.
A faint, rapid expansion called Pa30 has been identified as the source of the 12th-century explosion, which according to Chinese and Japanese astronomers was as bright as the planet Saturn and remained visible for six months.
Experts said Pa30, which surrounds the Parker star, one of the hottest stars in the Milky Way, fits the profile, location and age of the historic supernova.
Astronomers have solved a 900-year-old mystery surrounding the origins of a supernova first discovered over China in 1181. A faint nebula called Pa30 (represented in three different colored images showing X-ray emissions) has been identified as a 12th century explosion. font
There have only been five bright supernovae in the Milky Way in the last millennium, including the famous Crab Nebula, but the origins of all the bars of the “Chinese guest star” have been well known.
Although twelfth-century astronomers recorded an approximate location in the sky from the 1181 observation, so far no confirmed remains of the explosion had been identified.
The discovery was made by a team of international astronomers from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and France.
In new research, they found that the Pa30 nebula is expanding at an extreme speed of more than 1,100 km per second (at that speed, traveling from Earth to the Moon would take only five minutes).
They used this speed to obtain an age around 1,000 years, which would coincide with the events of 1181.
Professor Albert Zijlstra, of the University of Manchester, was one of the astronomers involved in the research.
He said: “Historical reports place the guest star between two Chinese constellations, Chuanshe and Huagai.
‘Parker’s Star fits the position well. This means that age and location match the events of 1181. ‘
Previously, it has been suggested that Pa30 and Parker’s Star formed as a result of the fusion of two white dwarfs.
A white dwarf is what stars become like the sun at the end of their life when they have consumed all the nuclear fuel.
These white dwarf fusion events are thought to lead to a rare and relatively weak type of supernova, called an “Iax-type supernova.”
Professor Zijlstra said: “Only about 10% of supernovae are of this type and are not well understood.
Professor Albert Zijlstra, of the University of Manchester, said all research indicated that the Parker star and the Pa30 were the counterparts of the 1181 supernova (pictured in a star chart).
Images of the nebula were obtained with the Kitt Peak National Observatory telescope (shown)
“The fact that SN1181 was weak but faded very slowly fits this type.
“It’s the only event of its kind where we can study both the remaining nebula and the fused star, and also have a description of the explosion itself.”
The fusion of remnant stars, white dwarfs and neutron stars, causes extreme nuclear reactions and form heavy elements, very rich in neutrons, such as gold and platinum.
Professor Zijlstra added: “Combining all this information, such as the age, location, brightness of the event and the duration recorded historically for 185 days, indicates that the Parker star and the Pa30 are the counterparts of the SN 1181.
“This is the only Iax – type supernova where detailed studies of the remaining star and nebula are possible.
“It’s good to be able to solve both a historical and an astronomical mystery.”
The research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
SUPERNOVES OCCUR WHEN A GIANT STAR EXPLODES
A supernova occurs when a star explodes, shooting debris and particles into space.
A supernova burns only for a short period of time, but it can tell scientists many things about how the universe began.
One type of supernova has shown scientists that we live in an expanding universe, which is growing at an ever-increasing rate.
Scientists have also determined that supernovae play a key role in the distribution of elements throughout the universe.
In 1987, astronomers saw a “titanic supernova” in a nearby galaxy that burned with the power of more than 100 million suns (pictured)
Two types of supernova are known.
The first type occurs in binary star systems when one of the two stars, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, steals matter from its companion star.
Eventually, the white dwarf accumulates too much matter, causing the star to explode, resulting in a supernova.
The second type of supernova occurs at the end of a single star’s life.
As the star runs out of nuclear fuel, part of its mass flows into its core.
Eventually, the nucleus is so heavy that it cannot withstand its own gravitational force and the nucleus collapses, resulting in another giant explosion.
Many elements found on Earth are made in the core of the stars and these elements travel to form new stars, planets and the rest of the universe.