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NASA's Chandra Observatory Searches for Trigger of Nearby Supernova

  • Chandra data is being used to help determine what caused SN 2014J to explode. Astronomers first spotted SN 2014J in the M82 galaxy on January 21, 2014, making it one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades. SN 2014J is a Type Ia supernova, an important class of objects used to measure the expansion of the Universe.The non-detection of X-rays from Chandra gives information about the environment around the star before SN 2014J exploded.

    Chandra data is being used to help determine what caused SN 2014J to explode. Astronomers first spotted SN 2014J in the M82 galaxy on January 21, 2014, making it one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades. SN 2014J is a Type Ia supernova, an important class of objects used to measure the expansion of the Universe.The non-detection of X-rays from Chandra gives information about the environment around the star before SN 2014J exploded.

    NASA/CXC/SAO/R.Margutti et al

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