Astronomers Witness , Supergiant Star Explosion , for the First Time.
'The Independent' reports that for the first time ever, scientists have witnessed a red supergiant star's explosive end.
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The observation reportedly marks a major breakthrough in our understanding of a star's final moments.
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Previously, it seemed that stars remained relatively calm before dramatically exploding.
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The latest observations revealed bright radiation coming from the star prior to the event.
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This is a breakthrough in our understanding of what massive stars do moments before they die, Wynn Jacobson-Galán, the study’s lead author, via 'The Independent'.
Direct detection of pre-supernova activity in a red supergiant star has never been observed before in an ordinary type II supernova.
For the first time, we watched a red supergiant star explode, Wynn Jacobson-Galán, the study’s lead author, via 'The Independent'.
The doomed star was first spotted in the summer of 2020.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy Pan-STARRS on Haleakalā detected vast amounts of light emitting from it.
Researchers were able to observe the star for several months before it exploded in a bright supernova.
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Observations were also made by the nearby WM Keck Observatory on Maunakea.
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It’s like watching a ticking time bomb.
We’ve never confirmed such violent activity in a dying red supergiant star where we see it produce such a luminous emission, then collapse and combust, until now, Raffaella Margutti, the paper’s senior author, via 'The Independent'
