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Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy

Date:
August 30, 2012
Source:
Gemini Observatory
Summary:
Astronomers took advantage of the most distant supernova of its type to probe a galaxy some 9.5 billion light years away. The light from the exploding star, allowed astronomers to confirm that the gas environment between the stars in the distant galaxy is "reassuringly normal."
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Astronomers took advantage of the most distant supernova of its type to probe a galaxy some 9.5 billion light years away. The light from the exploding star, discovered by Pan-STARRS with followup spectroscopic observations by the Gemini North telescope and the Multiple Mirror Telescope, confirmed that the gas environment between the stars in the distant galaxy is "reassuringly normal.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Gemini Observatory. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. E. Berger, R. Chornock, R. Lunnan, R. Foley, I. Czekala, A. Rest, C. Leibler, A. M. Soderberg, K. Roth, G. Narayan, M. E. Huber, D. Milisavljevic, N. E. Sanders, M. Drout, R. Margutti, R. P. Kirshner, G. H. Marion, P. J. Challis, A. G. Riess, S. J. Smartt, W. S. Burgett, K. W. Hodapp, J. N. Heasley, N. Kaiser, R.-P. Kudritzki, E. A. Magnier, M. McCrum, P. A. Price, K. Smith, J. L. Tonry, R. J. Wainscoat. ULTRALUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AS A NEW PROBE OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN DISTANT GALAXIES. The Astrophysical Journal, 2012; 755 (2): L29 DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/755/2/L29

Cite This Page:

Gemini Observatory. "Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 August 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830065823.htm>.
Gemini Observatory. (2012, August 30). Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 31, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830065823.htm
Gemini Observatory. "Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830065823.htm (accessed October 31, 2025).

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