In 1987, the light resulting from the explosion of a star reached our celestial dome, after 168,000 light years traveling the distance that separates the object from Earth. Named SN 1987A, we have been studying this curious formation ever since, in an attempt to understand what happens to these bodies after they go supernovae. Now, the James Webb and the POT reveal new information to us in more detail than ever before.
The SN 1987A supernova is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that functions as a satellite of our Milky Way. Since its first sighting, space agencies around the world have focused on capturing its evolution. However, it was not until the arrival of the James Webb Space Telescope that we have been able to observe the celestial object with this level of detail and precision.
In addition to James Webb, other observatories that have captured SN 1987A are Chandra, Hubble and NuSTAR. The first photographing the supernova in X-rays, while the second was in charge of doing it in visible light.
Details of the supernova captured by James Webb
To achieve this unprecedented amount of detail, the NIRCam of James Webb. It is one of the main instruments of the space telescope, capable of capturing light in the near infrared spectrum. In this way, it is possible to obtain an image with details that would be invisible to the human eye and also reveal structures hidden behind clouds of space dust.
From the center out, NASA explains each of the details of the composition. First of all, we have a central structure in the shape of a lock. It would be made up of lumpy gas and dust, products of the material ejected by the star during its dying stage.. The dust in this area is so dense that even James Webb cannot penetrate it, giving rise to the dark formation at the center of the supernova.
On the other hand, we have a first equatorial ring in the shape of pearls. The latter is made up of material ejected by the star thousands of years before its explosion. They are much brighter than the rest of the formations due to the wave shock that hit the structure after its transformation into a supernova.
This beaded ring is connected via an outer band to two more subdued rings, which create an hourglass-shaped structure.
The secrets of the supernova that we cannot see yet
Despite the capabilities of James Webb, there are still some details we can’t see from SN 1987A. Among them, a supposed neutron star that, in theory, should be at the center of the formation. After all, supernova-type events trigger a celestial body’s core to collapse, giving way to a new neutron star, or black hole. Of course, it all depends on the density of the original star.
According to the researchers’ calculations, the density of the supernova SN 1987A must have given way to a neutron star. Unfortunately, the gas and dust are too dense to penetrate with James Webb’s instruments.
SN 1987A is a structure of interest to scientists, and for a clear reason. Neutron stars remain a great mystery for the community. Being able to study them so close, as is the case with this supernova, could help us figure out how they form and how they interact with the gas and dust around them.