For the first time, astronomers discover a star that has exploded twice
Supernova remnants in the Crab Nebula. (Image source: ESA, Herschel, PACS, MESS Key Programme Supernova Remnant Team ; Nasa, ESA et Allison Loll et Jeff Hester, Arizona State University)
For the first time, astronomers have discovered a star that exploded twice. This is a previously unknown event that could change many things in our understanding of this type of phenomenon.
From the Big Bang to the present day, the universe has undergone many dramatic changes. Among these, we can mention supernovas, which are explosions of stars. And astronomers have recently discovered, for the first time, a star that has exploded twice.
To understand this, it is important to know that there are two types of supernovas, defined according to the nature of the star and the mechanism that triggers the explosion. First, there are Type Ia supernovas, which originate from a binary system in which a white dwarf sucks matter from a nearby star until it reaches the Chandrasekhar limit (about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun). When this stage is exceeded, instability reigns and a powerful explosion occurs.
Second, Type II supernovae occur when the core of the host star can no longer support its own gravity, causing a sudden collapse and a titanic explosion. It should be noted that this usually happens after the star has exhausted all its fuel.
This discovery is a type Ia supernova located 160,000 light-years away, which was spotted using the Very Large Telescope. Named SNR 0509-67.5, the explosion must have occurred around three centuries ago in the constellation Dorado in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Image of the double-detonation supernova SNR 0509-67.5 as seen by the VLT. (Image source: ESO/P. Das et al. Background stars (Hubble): K. Noll et al.)
Going into more detail, the scientists who published their study in the journal Nature Astronomy explain that the first explosion was caused by an accumulation of helium around the white dwarf, which caused a shock wave around the star. Then, the entire star underwent a powerful explosion at its center.
However, current models do not account for a star, such as a Type Ia supernova, exploding before reaching the Chandrasekhar limit. Yet in this case, the explosion occurred well before this limit, sparking keen interest among astronomers around the world who are dedicated to this subject. Thus, SNR 0509-67.5 could become a fairly important subject of study, particularly for better understanding supernovae and their consequences in the universe.
Alexis Stegmann - Tech Writer - 402 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025
I've been working in the field of web writing for several years, and I'm passionate about keeping readers up to date with the latest news on astronomy, technology, the world of video games and other exciting subjects. In particular, I've had the opportunity to work on a number of websites, which has enabled me to cover a wide range of subjects. In my personal life, I'm passionate about a wide range of subjects, including astronomy, video games, history and science. I'm also drawn to psychology, which is a subject that deserves greater documentation and recognition.
