Astronomers Have Observed the Spectacular Scene of a Supernova Transforming.
According to BGR, for the first time, scientists have observed a supernova transforming into a black hole or neutron star. This discovery is considered a “missing link” that reveals the process of stars transitioning into mysterious massive celestial entities in the universe.
For decades, astronomers have sought direct observational evidence of the process by which massive stars transform into black holes or neutron stars. Now, by observing a supernova discovered last year, they may have found crucial clues.
As a star reaches the end of its life cycle, it exhausts the fuel necessary to sustain nuclear fusion—the primary energy source for stars. When the fuel runs out, the star expels its outer layers, and the core collapses, resulting in a supernova. This supernova explosion ultimately leads to the formation of either a black hole or a neutron star.
This supernova shows clear periodic brightness changes.
The explosion at the end of a star’s life results in a supernova.
The new study focuses on supernova SN 2022iji, which was first discovered last year in the galaxy NGC 157. Scientists quickly pointed telescopes at the explosion to monitor the subsequent developments. Surprisingly, instead of fading gradually as usual, this supernova displayed clear periodic brightness changes. Every 12.4 days, the brightness of SN 2022iji increased, a process that lasted about 200 days, after which the brightness would fade again.
This marks the first time astronomers have recorded a repeating brightness fluctuation cycle in the light curve of a supernova. They believe this is the “missing link” they have been searching for, helping to decode the mystery of the transformation from supernova to black hole or neutron star.
The study has been published in the journal Nature, opening the door for further research on supernovae in the future. It is hoped that new observations will reveal more details about this process, helping humanity to better understand the wonders of the universe.
