In the news this Spring...
In the news this Spring:
- Supernova 1987A three years on;
- the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory gets final approval;
- ESO to begin a major new survey of the northern sky.
Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud, before (right) and ten days after the event (left) CREDIT: Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin
The 24th February marked the three year anniversary of the supernova 1987A and it continues to evolve as the ejecta expand into the interstellar medium of the surrounding Tarantula Nebula. At a distance of just 168,000 light years, it is the closest supernova since the invention of the telescope (almost 400 years ago) and presents an ideal opportunity to observe the evolution of a remnant as it expands. Since the peak optical brightness was reached in the second half of 1987, the brightness has been decreasing exponentially as the supernova fades. But in an IAU circular, published on December 29th last year, astronomers at the European Southern Observatory present results which show that the decline in the light curve has levelled off. Indications that this were happening had already been observed, but the evidence is now clearer and the results confirmed. The data suggest that a previously undetected energy source is contributing to the total energy output, and the researchers argue that the most likely source is radiation from an as-yet undetected pulsar, absorbed and re-radiated by the dust in the nebula.
Artists impression of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory CREDIT: Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
The 48-inch Oschin Schmidt Telescope at the Palomar Observatory which will conduct the sky survey CREDIT: Palomar Observatory / R. Danner and D. Hogg
And finally: The next few years are looking exciting for both planetary exploration and space-based astronomy with several new missions launched recently. The Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 18th last year onboard the space shuttle Atlantis and is now on its way to Jupiter where it will study the planet and its moons, as well as sending a probe plunging into the thick atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet. One month later, the Cosmic Microwave Background Explorer, COBE, was launched aboard a Delta rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with the aim of mapping the faint radiation left over from the Big Bang. This year should also see the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, one of the most eagerly anticipated space-based observatories. Following many delays, Hubble is scheduled for launch on board the space shuttle during March.
With huge thanks to the Nature archives!
This blog post is a news story from the Jodcast, aired in the Spring 1990 edition.
Posted by Megan on Thursday 01st Apr 2010 (04:56 UTC) | Add a comment | Permalink
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