Scientists have long suspected that stars can meet their demise through a double explosion, but they’ve never seen visual evidence. That changed with the discovery of a stellar “double-detonation,” leaving behind a spectacular supernova remnant. Using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, astronomers captured the first-ever image of such an event, providing new insights into the stellar evolution of burned-out stars called white dwarfs.
When a massive star burns through its fuel, it collapses under gravity, producing a supernova explosion. However, some supernovas can produce a super dense core or even a black hole, depending on the star’s mass and composition. Recently, research has suggested that some white dwarfs undergo two explosions before disappearing.
In this scenario, a white dwarf is thought to be surrounded by an unstable helium cloud, which first explodes, triggering a second blast in the core of the star. This “double-detonation” occurs before the white dwarf reaches critical mass, producing a unique visual signature. Astronomers have now observed this phenomenon for the first time, capturing an image of two separate shells of calcium that confirm their predictions.
The discovery is valuable because Type Ia supernovas are used as “standard candles” to measure distances in the universe. By understanding the inner workings of these explosions, scientists can refine their calculations and gain a better understanding of the cosmos. The findings provide a significant breakthrough in the study of stellar evolution and offer new insights into the mysterious world of white dwarfs.
Source: https://futurism.com/image-star-explode-twice