Astronomers see supernova from different angle

Washington, April 1 (ANI): A group of astronomers has observed an exploding star or supernova, which left behind what we know today as Cassiopeia A, from another angle as well as in a 3-D perspective.

Armin Rest of Harvard University and his colleagues have used a technique that has allowed them to observe Cassiopeia A from a perspective other than that from the Solar System.

"The same event looks different from different places in the Milky Way. For the first time, we can see a supernova from an alien perspective," said lead author Armin Rest of Harvard University.

The technique that the astronomers used is based on the familiar echo concept, but instead of sound it is applied to light.

When dust clouds in space reflect the light from the supernova it bounces off them; by catching those reflections, the astronomers were able to capture the images on them.

Thus, by collecting reflections from various dust clouds in different areas of space, they composed images of Cassiopeia A that depicted different angles of the supernova.

Additionally, by grouping all the images from multiple angles together with X-ray data on the supernova remnants and the movement of the left over neutron star, the astronomers were able to get a 3-D perspective as well.

The team observed that the supernova looks very different when viewed from all the different angles, especially from one particular direction.

They found this to possibly be due to the supernova explosion sending gas out one way and the star the other. (ANI)