The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
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Trigger for Milky Way's Youngest Supernova Identified

  • Scientists have found the likely trigger for the most recent supernova in the Milky Way, the remnant called G1.9+0.3. This object belongs to a special class of supernovas called Type Ias used to measure the expansion rate of the Universe. By combining data from Chandra (seen in this image where red, green, and blue show low, medium, and high-energy respectively) and the VLA, scientists have determined that a merger of two white dwarf stars triggered the supernova in G1.9+0.3. It is important to identify the trigger mechanism for Type Ias because this could affect their use as "standard candles" in cosmology.

    Scientists have found the likely trigger for the most recent supernova in the Milky Way, the remnant called G1.9+0.3. This object belongs to a special class of supernovas called Type Ias used to measure the expansion rate of the Universe. By combining data from Chandra (seen in this image where red, green, and blue show low, medium, and high-energy respectively) and the VLA, scientists have determined that a merger of two white dwarf stars triggered the supernova in G1.9+0.3. It is important to identify the trigger mechanism for Type Ias because this could affect their use as "standard candles" in cosmology.

    Low Resolution Image