Astronomers map elongated supernova shape for the first time

livescience.com

Astronomers have mapped the initial shape of a supernova for the first time, revealing it is elongated, not spherical. This groundbreaking observation, made using the Very Large Telescope, captured the supernova's "breakout" phase just 26 hours after detection. The data suggests the explosion's initial shock wave was stretched along one axis. The supernova, SN 2024ggi, occurred in a galaxy 22 million light-years away. This finding challenges existing supernova models and offers new insights into stellar death.


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Astronomers map elongated supernova shape for the first time | News Minimalist