July 31, 2016

Artist's Impression of the Supernova 1993J

Artist's Impression of the Supernova 1993J

This is an artist's impression of supernova 1993J, an exploding star in the galaxy M81. The supernova originated in a double-star system where one member was a massive star that exploded after siphoning most of its hydrogen envelope to its companion star. After two decades, astronomers have at last identified the blue helium-burning companion star, seen at the center of the expanding nebula of debris from the supernova. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope identified the ultraviolet glow of the surviving companion embedded in the fading glow of the supernova.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)
Explanation from: https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo1438a/

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