Supernova (Photo : REUTERS)
In what could be a missing link between supernova and evolution of Galaxies, scientists have got evidence that the cosmic dust generated from a single exploding star could build as many as 7,000 earthlike planets.
Researchers led by Cornell postdoctoral associate in astronomy Ryan Lau found that the cloud that build new planets come straight out of a supernova.
The massive supergiant star explosion, known as supernova, may have the brightness of about 10 billion suns! The energy produced in a Supernova is roughly 1044 joules, which is equal to the total energy radiated by the sun in a lifetime of 10 billion years.
It is known to Astronomers that a supernova's explosion can produce huge amounts of cosmic dust. But, it was not known whether the stardust cloud could stay intact when the shock waves created by the explosion hit it?
"Our observations reveal a particular cloud produced by a supernova explosion 10,000 years ago contains enough dust to make 7,000 Earths," Lau said in a statement.
Lau used NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to observe the interstellar cloud. The researchers' team studied the detailed infrared images of Supernova Remnant Sagittarius A East, also called SNR Sgr A East, according to News Ledge.
SNR Sgr A East is a repository of interstellar cloud, which is 10,000-year-old and is located 27,000 light-years away from the earth. Lau's team used NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to reveal this fact about evolution of galaxies.
SOFIA is not a general observatory, it is a high-power telescope that is placed in a modified Boeing 747. The modifications of the Boeing include a large door that opens up to provide the 2.5 meter reflecting telescope a view of the sky, The Daily Republic reported.
"No other currently operating observatory other than the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy could detect this dust," Lau said.
