APOD: 2019 November 21 - Simeis 147: Supernova Remnant

Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "Simeis 147: Supernova Remnant." Simeis 147 (S147) lies about 3,000 light years away near the constellations Taurus and Auriga, and is also known as the Spaghetti Nebula. At its center lies a neutron star, the remnant of a supernova explosion some 40,000 years ago.

What causes a supernova? When the nuclear power source (e.g. hydrogen) at the center or core of a star is exhausted, the core collapses. In less than a second, a neutron star (or a black hole, if sufficient mass is present) is formed. The formation of a neutron star releases an enormous amount of energy, which reverses the implosion. All but the central neutron star is blown away at speeds in excess of 50 million kilometers per hour as a thermonuclear shock wave races through the now expanding stellar debris, fusing lighter elements into heavier ones (such as carbon) and producing a brilliant outburst of light. The rapidly expanding matter from the explosion eventually crashes into circumstellar gas, creating a supernova remnant like the Spaghetti Nebula.

Why might all this be important? Supernovas appear to be the primary means for seeding the galaxy with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon and iron: the necessary ingredients for planets and life.