Posted on 12/22/2015 12:30:48 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: It's back. Never before has an observed supernova been predicted. The unique astronomical event occurred in the field of galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223. Most bright spots in the featured image are galaxies in this cluster. The actual supernova, dubbed Supernova Refsdal, occurred just once far across the universe and well behind this massive galaxy cluster. Gravity caused the cluster to act as a massive gravitational lens, splitting the image of Supernova Refsdal into multiple bright images. One of these images arrived at Earth about ten years ago, likely in the upper red circle, and was missed. Four more bright images peaked in April in the lowest red circle, spread around a massive galaxy in the cluster as the first Einstein Cross supernova. But there was more. Analyses revealed that a sixth bright supernova image was likely still on its way to Earth and likely to arrive within the next year. Earlier this month -- right on schedule -- this sixth bright image was recovered, in the middle red circle, as predicted. Studying image sequences like this help humanity to understand how matter is distributed in galaxies and clusters, how fast the universe expands, and how massive stars explode.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit and Copyright: NASA, ESA, and S. Rodney (JHU) and the FrontierSN team; T. Treu (UCLA), P. Kelly (UC Berkeley), and the GLASS team; J. Lotz (STScI) and the Frontier Fields team; M. Postman (STScI) and the CLASH team; and Z. Levay (STScI)]
Nice demo of light taking different paths and the time it takes.
A supernova is not something that happens with little forewarning. I would guess that you would have hundreds of years of warning. That is one of the two plot holes in the 2009 Star Trek movie. The other being where did a “simple mining ship” get so much weaponry?
The biggest hole in Faux Trek was allowing that Star Wars fanboi Abrams anywhere near it.
If all the solid mass in our observable universe was in one place, a supernova would look like a firecracker in a Tzar bomba.
This is significant. For the expected prediction to be true, values for the speed of light, distance and gravitational warping must be accurate to a high degree. This is strong evidence that the techniques used to measure astronomical distances are valid. Lots of folks here on FR dismiss such things as unscientific WAGs.
Bflr
The supernova in the movie was caused by the red matter (whatever that is) and the mining ship got all its bling because it travelled through time collecting stuff.
That’s my story, and I am sticking to it. :-)
Thank you for the post and ping, Mr. Civilizations.
Oddly, my late Mother had a black dress with a very similar pattern, minus the closer blue stars and the red circles.
I had a bit of trouble tearing my eyes away from the APOD Big One. I miss my Mom, but she passed in 1969, and
now that I’m really old too, I’m looking forward to seeing her in Heaven, assuming I make it to Heaven, please God.
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