Supernovas are pretty much an astrophotographer's best friend as they show a once young and bright star become even more luminous after a violent explosion, resulting in an ironically stunning and colorful display of stellar death.
But even if these stars are already dead, their wispy and electric remnants still live for years. It is worth noting that supernova remnants eventually fade into nothingness but it takes tens of thousands to a hundred thousand years.
Hence, even a supernova remnant that dates as early as 1054 A.D. can still be captured in its full glory by space telescopes.
(Photo : Andrew McCarthy)
A Medieval Supernova
A star that exploded into a supernova in the medieval period has been captured by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy.
"I captured a photo of a SUPERNOVA! This is the Crab Nebula, an outwardly expanding cloud created from a star that exploded in 1054AD (basically yesterday in a cosmic sense). The colorful display shows how varied the composition of this object is," McCarthy said in a tweet.
The photographer also shared a wider view of the image to highlight how the explosion was just sitting in a starfield. He captured this stellar event using a 12-inch telescope which needed 7 different filters for nearly 40 hours.
(Photo : Andrew McCarthy)
"Going from the raw data to this final vibrant image is a science in itself, and where the bulk of the creative expression in this hobby comes from," the photographer said in another tweet.
McCarthy is one of the most popular astrophotographers sharing snapshots of the universe online. In 2017, during a total solar eclipse over the United States, he began his career in astrophotography.
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The Ancient Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is a result of incandescent remnants from a star. According to NASA, the star has 10 times the mass of our Sun that eventually met its demise in 1054 and erupted as a supernova.
This nebula is well-studied for a variety of factors, including the fact that it is one of the few instances where there is solid historical evidence for the time the starburst. The existence of this comprehensive timeline aids astronomers in understanding the intricacies of the explosion and its aftereffects.
Observers in numerous nations noticed the arrival of a "new star" in the direction of the constellation Taurus in 1054 AD. Hence, the Crab Nebula was born.
Since that time, a lot has been discovered about the Crab. Today, astronomers are aware that the Crab Nebula is propelled by a pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star with a strong magnetic field that was created when a huge star ran out of nuclear fuel and collapsed.
The quick rotation and strong magnetic field of the Crab produce jets of matter and anti-matter flying away from the north and south poles of the pulsar, as well as a violent wind blowing out in the equatorial direction, according to NASA.
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