Israeli researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science made history when they recorded the explosion of a star, a supernova, while it was happening, as published in the respected scientific magazine “Nature”. This is the first time that scientists predict the phenomenon in real time and it is a process that requires perfect timing and coordination with the space agency NASA.
The Israeli researchers told how they had to react quickly when they realized that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was happening and the command sent to the Hubble space telescope.
For the most part, astrophysicists are forced to study supernovae only in retrospect. Prof. Avishai Gal-Yam, from the Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, spoke about the importance of the timing of the documentation: “About once a century in a galaxy like ours, a star explodes. It’s a dramatic event, it last happened in our galaxy decades ago.”
“This is part of what makes the supernova we witnessed special,” says doctoral student Erez Zimmerman, from Prof. Gal-Yam’s group. “This is the first time we observe, in ultraviolet radiation, where most of the light is emitted in the collision between the material emitted in the supernova and the material from which the star’s envelope was assembled.”
The Israeli researchers who received an unprecedented glimpse into the event of the explosion of a star Photo: Weizmann Institute of Science
Zimmerman had no shortage of reasons to be excited in the days leading up to the professional achievement, the indications of the occurrence of the supernova were received during Shabbat evening, only a few days before his wedding. Zimmerman said that while spending time with his relatives in a bar, he received a flood of emails: “I looked at the email and realized that this was the supernova I was waiting for, and that I would be able to observe it with the Hubble telescope.”
“A supernova so interesting and close only happens once every few decades,” explained doctoral student Ido Irani, from Prof. Gal-Yam’s group. “To arrive at such an early stage to observe such a supernova is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime event,” he added.
“The timing is critical, there is a phase of a few days in the life of the supernova, if you manage to catch it – then you get the information, and if not – then you miss it,” clarified Prof. Gal-Yam. “We had to act fast, but it takes time to aim the Hubble telescope.” Gal-Yam said that his team contacted NASA and within three hours the order came down to point the telescope.
In addition, it turned out that the Hubble telescope had previously observed the galaxy where the explosion took place – the vane galaxy also known as “Monsieur 101″, which is in the neighborhood of the Milky Way. In collaboration with their colleagues in other research groups, Gal Yam’s team turned to the NASA archives and pulled out photographs of the star before the explosion. All these allowed the scientists to create the most detailed portrait ever of a supernova, combining the last years of its life and its death. to get amazing information and we will probably continue to collect more information for the next 20 years,” Irani concluded.
