Rare super-luminous supernova spotted

Chandigarh, July 10

Indian astronomers have discovered a rare and extremely bright supernova that shines with the energy borrowed from an exotic type of neutron star that can help probe the mysteries of the early universe.

Such type of ancient super-luminous spatial objects are hydrogen deficient and fast evolving and very rare because they generally originate from very massive stars having a size at least 25 times that of the sun. The number of such massive stars in our galaxy (Milky Way) or in nearby galaxies is sparse. These ancient objects are among the least understood supernovae because their underlying sources are unclear and their extremely high peak luminosity is unexplained using the conventional power-source models. — TNS