Scientists Predict Supernova Blast

The Universe revealed one more secret

For the first time scientists managed to forecast the blast of the star, which was called Supernova 2003dh. The star started increasing its brightness on April 8th. Scientists predicted the blast after they discovered the gamma-rays pulsation in the same spot - ten days before the blast. Prior to this observation, astronomers could not predict the explosion of a supernova to an accuracy of better than a few million years.

Arnon Dar and Alvaro De Rujula from the European center of nuclear research and the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel predicted the explosion and watched it happen. Researchers even developed a theory to explain the mysterious gamma-ray bursts that came to us from the depth of the Universe. As scientists say, those bursts are connected with supernovae. The phenomenon has intrigued scientists for 30 years, for on one could explain the incredible energy of the bursts.

Astronomers had to wait for such a burst to happen in order to test the theory. In addition to that, such a burst had to occur relatively close. A close and powerful gamma-ray burst GRB 030329 was registered on March 29. The two scientists said that a Supernova would be noticeable on planet Earth on April 8th. This was exactly what happened later on – even amateurs managed to see the Supernova. Now astronomers would like to find out, why X-rays occur prior to blasts.

NTR.Ru