December 2nd, 2011
02:55 PM ET

First Supernova Companion Star Found

"In 2004, an international team of astronomers had, for the first time, observed a stellar "survivor" emerge from a double star system involving an exploded supernova.

Supernovae are some of the most significant sources of chemical elements in the universe, and they are at the heart of our understanding of the evolution of galaxies. In this artist's view, the red super-giant supernova progenitor star (left) is exploding after having transferred about 10 solar masses of hydrogen gas to the blue companion star (right)."

Source: NASA

Filed under: Light up the screen
soundoff (4 Responses)
  1. here's a novel idea

    my dad had a nova

    December 5, 2011 at 3:38 pm |
  2. I'm The Best!

    Really cool!
    Now to just get a better telescope so we can get an actual picture of this instead of an artists drawing. But cool nonetheless.

    December 2, 2011 at 3:05 pm |
    • binky42

      Lobby Congress to NOT cut funding to the James Webb Space Telescope project.

      December 2, 2011 at 4:25 pm |
      • Andrew Badera

        You do realize they approved up to $11B back in November, right? No funding cut?

        December 2, 2011 at 5:41 pm |
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