Published 16:08 IST, August 20th 2020
Kepler supernova debris in Milky Way galaxy heading towards Earth even after 4 centuries
NASA has revealed that remnants from Kepler supernova explosion that happened 400 years ago are still moving pin Milky Way Galaxy & are headed towards Earth.
NASA has revealed that debris from a star that exploded 4 centuries ago is still travelling through outer space. It has further stated that some of the debris are headed towards the Earth at great speeds. NASA has also revealed that despite having exploded years ago, the remnants from that star have not slowed down.
NSA reveals Kepler remnants moving towards earth
NASA has identified that the Kepler supernova remnant is the debris from a star that exploded and was located about 20,000 light years away from Earth in Milky Way Galaxy. In 1604, astronomers including Johannes Kepler, after whom the object was named, saw the supernova explosion that destroyed the star. For centuries, scientists have been tracking the remnants of Kepler Supernova, but the debris from the explosion have not slowed down.
NASA used its Chandra X-Ray Observatory to record material blasting away from the site of an exploded star at a speed of 20 million miles per hour. NASA has defined this speed is about 25,000 times faster than the speed at which sound travels on Earth. NASA has revealed that 15 pieces of debris from the Kepler supernova are being observed by the US space agency.
Among the 15 pieces, NASA revealed, eight of them are definitely headed away from the Earth. But, five out of the remaining have no definitive direction and 2 out of the remaining are coming towards our planet. However, the good news is that even though the remnants are within the Milky Way Galaxy and are headed towards the Earth at great speeds, they are still thousands of light-years away.
Scientists have been unable to figure out as to why is the debris moving at such high speeds. Several scientists believe that it is because the Kepler supernova remnant is an unusually bright Type Ia. This happens when a small dense star exceeds a critical mass limit after having interacted with a companion star. Due to the thermonuclear explosion, the small dense star shatters and launches it outward. Several other scientists believe that the high speed is caused due to the immediate environment around the Kepler supernova. Researchers believe that the environment around the Kepler supernova is clumpy, allowing the debris to tunnel through places where the density is low.
Image credits: NASA
Updated 16:09 IST, August 20th 2020