Astronomers have discovered the brightest star explosion ever, a super supernova that easily outshines our entire Milky Way.
In the most recent issue of Science, a multinational team described “the most intense supernova observed in human history.” The record-breaking supernova was discovered by astronomers last year using a network of telescopes located all around the world.
It is thought that super luminous supernovas, or exceptionally bright star explosions, are uncommon. The recently found supernova is particularly uncommon: It is more than twice as bright as any supernova that has been seen so far, including the record-setters.
It is estimated to be 20 times more brilliant than the entire Milky Way at its brightest. According to some estimations, it is 50 times brighter.
At its brightest, it is 570 billion times more intense than the sun.
Subo Dong, the lead author from Peking University in China, said he was “too excited to sleep the rest of the night” when he heard the significance of the discovery last summer. At first, the results seemed “surreal,” according to coworker Benjamin Shappee of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Pasadena, California, who was involved in the study.
In an email, Shappee stated, “Discoveries like this are the reason I am an astronomer. Nature is incredibly intelligent and frequently more creative than humans are.
The massive explosion, which goes by the name ASASSN-15lh for the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae and is pronounced “assassin,” is situated in a galaxy that is thought to be 3.8 billion light-years away. Unknown galaxy in question. There are other puzzles.
Dong added in a statement that “all known ideas meet major obstacles in explaining the enormous quantity of energy ASASSN-15lh has released,” and that “the explosion’s mechanism and power source remain shrouded in mystery.”
Scientists’ next task is to identify the source of this amazing power. There may be further super supernovas like this one. There are additional observatories investigating, including some N.A.S.A satellites. Astronomers will use the Hubble Space Telescope to investigate this item in depth and help solve the riddle.
“May lead to fresh thoughts and new observations of the entire class of super bright supernova,” said Dong of ASASSN-15lh.
