Kepler data still yielding surprises years after primary mission ends

Started by PopeyesPappy, March 22, 2016, 10:38:22 AM

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PopeyesPappy

Analysis of previously collected data from the Kepler primary mission yields the first visible light images of supernova shockwave event.

QuoteFor the first time, a supernova shockwave has been observed in the optical wavelength or visible light as it reaches the surface of the star. This early flash of light is called a shock breakout. The explosive death of this star, called KSN 2011d, as it reaches its maximum brightness takes 14 days. The shock breakout itself lasts only about 20 minutes, so catching the flash of energy is an investigative milestone for astronomers. The unceasing gaze of NASA's Kepler space telescope allowed astronomers to see, at last, this early moment as the star blows itself to bits. Supernovae like these â€" known as Type II â€" begin when the internal furnace of a star runs out of nuclear fuel causing its core to collapse as gravity takes over. This type of star is called a red supergiant star and it is 20,000 times brighter than our sun. As the supergiant star goes supernova, the energy traveling from the core reaches the surfaces with a burst of light that is 130,000,000 times brighter than the sun. The star continues to explode and grow reaching maximum brightness that is about 1,000,000,000 times brighter than the sun.
Credits: NASA Ames/W. Stenzel

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/Kepler/caught-for-the-first-time-the-early-flash-of-an-exploding-star

Bastards couldn’t be bothered to post an image though. Just an animation and a graph of the data.


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SGOS

Yeah, yeah, 20,000 brighter, 130,000,000 times brighter, 1,000,000,000 times brighter, and the force of the explosion, bla, bla.  But can we even imagine what that much energy would be like?  I can't.  On a cosmic scale, the enormity of things is beyond mind boggling.  And even that display is just a pittance in the cosmos overall.  So read your Bible, folks, and be impressed by a global flood that wipes out almost everything.  Yeah, OK, it's pretty low tech compared to a Super Nova, but you know, "God has a plan," and that's just about enough awesome anyone can take in a day.

josephpalazzo

Nice article.

Yep, every atom in your body was manufactured by a star which then exploded and scattered its fragments into space, creating all the elements of the periodic table. Then with chemistry, inert matter gave rise to organic matter, then life.

Now this in every respect is much better than what the bible says.

The shock wave that they can now detect can serve as a basis to study what happens during that time period when the star is collapsing.

Another win for science.

sdelsolray

Quote from: josephpalazzo on March 22, 2016, 01:58:28 PM
...
Yep, every atom in your body was manufactured by a star which then exploded and scattered its fragments into space, creating all the elements of the periodic table. Then with chemistry, inert matter gave rise to organic matter, then life.
...

Although some hydrogen in your body and mine may have spent some time within a star and may have been expelled from that star, it was not manufactured in that star.