REVELATION OF THE DANDELION SUPERNOVA REMNANTS FROM THE YEAR 1181
^ the remnant of the supernova (left) and the 3-D rendered image of the supernova (right)
For nearly six months in 1181 , people across East Asia looked to the skies and saw a bright new star in the constellation Cassiopeia, marking the rare event of a supernova explosion . It wasn’t until centuries later, in 2013, that scientists finally identified the remnants of this ancient blast. The discovery came when amateur astronomer Dana Patchick uncovered a nebula, now known as Pa 30 , through images taken by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Recent findings, however, have revealed even more striking features: filaments within Pa 30 that resemble the delicate tendrils of a dandelion , giving the supernova its new nickname, the “Dandelion Supernova.” Using advanced imaging techniques with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI), astronomers have mapped these filaments in three dimensions. The KCWI’s high-resolution “red arm” addition , which captures light from the red to infrared parts of the spectrum, allowed astronomers to measure the filaments' motion with precision.
Tim Cunningham, a NASA Hubble Fellow leading this study, explains that the filaments are moving outward at a remarkable speed of 1,000 kilometers per second. Their trajectories appear to be unaltered since the explosion in 1181, suggesting the material has expanded ballistically rather than slowing down. By tracing these velocities backward, astronomers pinpointed the explosion to nearly the exact year the supernova was first observed. This offers a rare and direct link between modern astronomical data and historical records. The explosion itself is thought to have been a Type Iax supernova , a partial explosion of a white dwarf star that left behind a “zombie star.” This incomplete explosion was likely dimmer than typical supernovae, consistent with the historical brightness observations. Despite these breakthroughs, questions remain about how the dandelion-like filaments formed. Cunningham suggests a possible “reverse shock wave” may have condensed surrounding dust, but further study is needed to confirm this theory.
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