Origins of Kepler's Famous Supernova Revealed by NASA Images

The origins of a famous supernova may have finally been revealed. A new study that uses data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory suggests that the supernova may have been created after an interaction between a white dwarf and a red giant star.

The supernova was first discovered in 1604 by Johannes Kepler and has been used since then to help measure the expansion rate of the Universe. Its proximity to Earth and its identifiable explosion date make the supernova an excellent object to study.

The new Chandra images examined by scientists reveal more information than ever before. They show a disk-shaped structure near the center of the remnant, probably caused by the collision between supernova debris and disk-shaped material that the giant star expelled before the explosion. The images also reveal a surprising amount of magnesium in the Kepler remnant.

In fact, the magnesium, which is an element that's not produced in great amounts by Type la supernovas, has pointed researchers down the trail to understanding the origin of the supernova a bit better.

"While we can't speak to all Type la supernovas, our evidence points to Kepler being caused by a white dwarf pulling material from a companion star, and not the merger of two white dwarfs," said Mary Burkey, one of the authors of the new study, in a press release.

So why is the origin of this supernova important? "To continue improving distance measurements with these supernovas, it is crucial to understand how they are triggered," said Burkey in a press release.

In addition to the magnesium, the researchers found a large concentration of iron on one side of the center of the remnant but not the other. It's possible that the cause of this asymmetry might be the "shadow" in iron that was cast by the companion star, which blocked the ejection material.

These findings could pave the way for better understanding Type la supernovas. Yet there are still a few pitfalls. The authors of the study were quick to note that they're unsure whether Kepler was a typical explosion. It's possible that it was far more powerful than usual.

The results of this study were published online in The Astrophysical Journal.