supernova

explosion of

BAN #447: Wait. HOW MANY supernova explode every year? (badastronomy.beehiiv.com) I recently wrote about the Cartwheel galaxy, a weird ring-shaped galaxy that suffered a massive collision that gave it its distinctive shape. \ I also mentioned it had a supernova in it, called SN2021 afdx. And I have to say, when I first saw that designation I actually muttered an obscenity or two under my breath.

A Bubbly Origin for Stars around the Sun (youtube.com) This video describes new research linking an interstellar void known as the Local Bubble to nearby star-forming regions. It begins by zooming into an artist’s rendering of the Milky Way to our own galactic neighborhood. Next, an animation beginning 14 million years ago steps through time to show how a series of supernovas created the Local Bubble. As the bubble expands, it sweeps up gas and dust that condense to form star clusters. The video then resets to 14 million years ago and steps forward again to show how the Sun’s path through the Milky Way galaxy brought it into the Local Bubble about 5 million years ago. Today, we’re coincidentally close to the middle of the bubble. Finally, the video pans around a 3D model of the Local Bubble and associated star-forming regions as they exist today. Video Credit: STScI