Updated

Updated · Science@NASA · Jun 12

Astronomers Spot 1,700-Year-Old Supernova Remnant Candidate 26,000 Light-Years Away Near Milky Way Black Hole

Updated

Updated · Science@NASA · Jun 12

Astronomers Spot 1,700-Year-Old Supernova Remnant Candidate 26,000 Light-Years Away Near Milky Way Black Hole

Q: Did the ancient star's core survive as a pulsar, or did it collapse into a new black hole?

It is not yet known whether the exploded star left behind a pulsar or collapsed into a stellar-mass black hole. The new study identifies a strong supernova remnant candidate near the Milky Way’s center, based mainly on X-ray emission seen by Chandra and XMM-Newton and earlier evidence of an expanding shell from SOFIA. But the reported observations do not show a confirmed compact object at the remnant’s center, which is what astronomers would need to distinguish between a neutron star/pulsar and a black hole. In core-collapse supernovae, the outcome depends largely on the mass of the collapsing core. If the remnant core stays below the maximum mass a neutron star can support, it can survive as a neutron star, sometimes observed as a pulsar. If it is too massive, it collapses further into a black hole. The background material you provided notes that this dividing line is thought to be around the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit, roughly 2.2 to 2.9 solar masses. So, for this object, the evidence currently supports the existence of the supernova remnant itself, not the fate of the core. A pulsar could still be hidden, especially in the crowded, dusty Galactic Center environment, or the core may have formed a black hole. Follow-up X-ray, radio, and infrared observations would be needed to look for a pulsar signal or other signs of a compact remnant.

3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Jun 12

Chandra and XMM-Newton data point to a possible supernova remnant near the Milky Way’s central black hole, with the candidate sitting in the Sagittarius C region about 26,000 light-years from Earth.
X-ray observations revealed a bright blob inside an expanding gas cloud, and researchers estimate that, if confirmed, the remnant is at least 1,700 years old and expanding at roughly 2 million mph.
The team said a cluster of massive stars is a less likely explanation because the blob’s X-ray emission is more than 10 times brighter than that of large known stellar clusters.
SOFIA had previously found an expanding shell around Sagittarius C, and the new study in The Astrophysical Journal adds evidence that a stellar explosion occurred in this crowded, magnetized Galactic Center environment.

Sources

Science@NASA8h ago

NASA Chandra Discovers Possible Supernova Remnant Near Milky Way's Central Black Hole

Astronomy Magazine8h ago

Chandra finds cosmic ray clues | Astronomy.com

YouTube8h ago

Quick Look: NASA's Chandra Discovers Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center

8 Sources

Did the ancient star's core survive as a pulsar, or did it collapse into a new black hole?

What happens when a supernova's blast wave collides with the wind from a supermassive black hole?

Why did this stellar explosion near our galaxy's core seemingly hide the very elements that create planets?

A Supernova Remnant Candidate Emerges Near Sagittarius A*: What It Reveals About the Milky Way’s Turbulent Heart

Overview

Astronomers have identified a candidate supernova remnant near Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, in the Sagittarius C region. This discovery was made possible by combining data from advanced observatories, including X-ray, infrared, and radio observations. The candidate appears as a distinct X-ray 'blob,' which is evidence of superheated gas and debris left after a massive star explodes. By integrating multiple wavelengths, scientists can distinguish this remnant from other features, such as the nearby H II region, and gain new insights into the energetic and dynamic processes shaping our galaxy’s core.

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