SUPERNOVA AND REMNANT STAR ILLUSTRATION (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

SUPERNOVA AND REMNANT STAR ILLUSTRATION

Caption

This artist's illustration shows supernova 2013ge, with its companion star at lower right. The companion star is impacted by the blast wave from the supernova, but not destroyed. Over time astronomers observed the ultraviolet (UV) light of the supernova fading, revealing a nearby second source of UV light that maintained brightness. The theory is that the two massive stars evolved together as a binary pair, and that the current survivor siphoned off its partner's outer hydrogen gas shell before it exploded. Eventually, the companion star will also go supernova.

Credit

Artist Illustration: NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)

Usage Restrictions

No restrictions.

License

Public Domain

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