In 2024, the NASA telescope Chandra X-ray Observatory will ring in the New Year by detecting two massive star explosions in the universe. The large envelope of faint X-rays suggests another supernova event took place over 5,500 years ago, and perhaps others before that as well.

 

In 2024, the NASA telescope Chandra X-ray Observatory will ring in the New Year by detecting two massive star explosions in the universe. The large envelope of faint X-rays suggests another supernova event took place over 5,500 years ago, and perhaps others before that as well.

credit: Nasa Telescope The image combines X-rays from Chandra with optical light from Hubble and infrared light from Spitzer. 

1. Chandra’s X-rays have presented compelling evidence of at least two explosions linked to the supernova remnant 30 Doradus B.

2. Ordinarily, a supernova remnant is connected to just one supernova event.

3. Situated in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way, 30 Doradus B has been captured in a fresh image that encompasses X-ray, optical, and infrared data.

NASA telescope Chandra X-ray Observatory 30 Doradus B, also known as 30 Dor B, is a captivating supernova remnant that showcases a vibrant and festive display of various types of light. This stunning image reveals the remnants of not just one, but at least two, exploded stars. Situated within a larger region of space where stars have been continuously forming for millions of years, 30 Dor B presents a complex landscape filled with dark clouds of gas, youthful stars, high-energy shocks, and superheated gas. It resides a staggering 160,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of our very own Milky Way.

To capture this remarkable image, scientists combined data from multiple sources. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, represented in purple, was merged with optical data from the Blanco 4-meter telescope in Chile, depicted in orange and cyan. Additionally, infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope contributed a red hue to the image. To emphasize distinct features, black and white optical data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was also incorporated.

A dedicated team of astronomers, led by Wei-An Chen from the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, meticulously analyzed the region surrounding 30 Dor B. Utilizing over two million seconds of observing time from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, they made a fascinating discovery. The team identified a faint shell of X-rays extending approximately 130 light-years across. To put this into perspective, the nearest star to our Sun is a mere 4 light-years away. Furthermore, the Chandra data unveiled the presence of particle winds emanating from a pulsar within 30 Dor B, resulting in the formation of a pulsar wind nebula.

Upon combining the data from Hubble and other telescopes, the researchers concluded that a single supernova explosion could not account for the observed phenomena. Instead, they propose that both the pulsar and the intense X-rays emanating from the center of 30 Dor B are the aftermath of a supernova explosion that occurred around 5,000 years ago, following the collapse of a massive star. However, the larger and more diffuse X-ray shell cannot be attributed to the same supernova event. The team suggests that at least two supernova explosions have taken place within 30 Dor B, with the X-ray shell originating from a separate supernova over 5,000 years ago.
The vast, indistinct X-ray shell, on the other hand, is of such immense proportions that it cannot be attributed to the same supernova event. The researchers propose that at least two separate supernova explosions occurred within 30 Dor B, and the X-ray shell was formed by a different supernova over 5,000 years ago. Furthermore, it is highly plausible that additional events transpired in the distant past.