stellar evolution
-
Astronomers Watch in Real Time as Epic Supernova Potentially Births a Black Hole
A team of astronomers recently captured a series of images of a distant star as it went supernova, providing a remarkable play-by-play of stellar death and possibly the birth of a black hole. Supernovae are massive explosions that occur when massive stars die. These events sometimes leave nebulae, neutron stars, or even black holes in…
-
Webb Telescope Spots Eye-Shaped Supernova With a Messy Filling
The Webb Space Telescope recently imaged Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), one of the brightest supernovae in the night sky and the nearest observed in centuries, according to NASA. The image spans 8.5 light years and was taken in September 2022, but was only published today. It is composed of several exposures taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared…
-
No, Betelgeuse Won’t Go Supernova in ‘Tens of Years’ — or Even Centuries
The expiration date of Betelgeuse, a massive dying star about 642 light-years from Earth, is a hot topic in astronomy because of the star’s superlative size and its life cycle stage.
-
Astronomers Find ‘Weird’ Stars Covered in Burned-Up Helium
Over 10,000 light-years from Earth, two mega-hot stars are changing what astronomers know about stellar evolution and how the gassy balls can be constructed. The stars are unique for their exotic surface composition: They are cocooned in carbon and oxygen, the ashen remains of helium burning.