Understanding the life cycle of stars is best witnessed by observing it firsthand.
This weekend, NASA will be launching a rocket to study a captivating stellar event in the Cygnus constellation, located approximately 2,600 light-years away from Earth. Within this pocket of the universe, a massive star, around 20 times larger than our sun, underwent a magnificent supernova explosion. The explosion was so bright that it would have been visible to the naked eye, even during daylight.
Although this explosion occurred 20,000 years ago, the matter ejected from the star is still expanding at an astonishing rate of 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) per hour. Currently, it spans three times the size of a full moon in 2012 and is estimated to be 120 light-years across.
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This remnant, known as the Cygnus Loop, is a rare find for astronomers as it provides real-time insights into the ongoing aftermath of a supernova explosion. It reveals how heavy elements, formed in the heart of the star, are returned to the universe, where future generations of stars and galaxies will inherit them and manifest over vast periods of time.
“Supernovae such as the one that created the Cygnus Loop significantly influence the formation of galaxies,” said Brian Fleming, the principal investigator for the upcoming mission from the University of Colorado Boulder, in a statement.
Fleming and his team will observe the Cygnus Loop on Sunday by launching an instrument atop a small sounding rocket into suborbital space.
On Sunday, at 11:35 p.m. ET (0335 GMT on Oct. 30), the INFUSE mission (Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Experiment) will commence from New Mexico. It is expected to collect information about the remnant for a few minutes from an altitude of 150 miles (240 km).
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The instrument will specifically collect light from the Cygnus Loop in far-ultraviolet wavelengths. This emitted light indicates that the remnant’s scorching hot dust and gas, ranging from 90,000 to 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit (about 50,000 to 300,000 degrees Celsius), is colliding with frigid cold gas in space as it expands.
“INFUSE will observe how the supernova dissipates energy into the Milky Way by capturing the light emitted during the blast wave colliding with pockets of cold gas surrounding the galaxy,” added Fleming in the same statement.
This data will provide astronomers with valuable insights into the distribution of specific elements within the remnant, leading to a deeper understanding of the life cycles of stars and galaxies.
