TOKYO, Japan – Three thousand years ago, a star more than 15 times bigger than our sun exploded, releasing valuable elements into space. Astronomers have captured an unprecedented view of the exploded star, now known as “supernova remnant N132D,” with the help of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-led XRISM observatory, which is in collaboration with NASA.
The remnants of massive stars can forge elements deep inside their cores and create elements during a violent stellar blast when they run out of fuel and collapse. The XRISM observatory has detected evidence of iron, calcium, sulfur, silicon, and argon being blasted into space by the exploded star. These elements were originally forged in the star before it exploded as a supernova.
The expanding remnant of gas and elements is about 75 light-years across, and the XRISM instrument, a spectrometer, is vital for analyzing the composition of cosmic objects. This space mission, launched in September 2023, is designed to last three years but is expected to continue for much longer. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is the U.S. principal investigator for XRISM and is eager for the international science community to get a new glimpse of the hidden X-ray sky and study the compositions, motions, and physical states of various cosmic sources.
The main purpose of the XRISM observatory is to detect x-rays emitted into space by various cosmic objects such as exploded stars and matter swirling around black holes. The observatory’s findings provide scientists with important insights into the composition of the universe and the processes that occur after the explosion of massive stars.
In conclusion, the XRISM observatory provides valuable new insights into the aftermath of explosions of massive stars, offering researchers the chance to study the composition, motions, and physical states of cosmic sources. The observatory is part of an ambitious space mission launched in September 2023 and is expected to continue for an extended period.