I Supernova - the Birth of One is Spotted

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An amateur astronomer captured the first images of a supernova's "shock breakout" phase, a significant milestone in astronomy. This discovery, published in the journal Nature, confirms theoretical models that predicted this phase but had never been observed. The astronomer used a new camera to document the moment when energy from a star's core reaches its surface before the explosion. The event highlights the potential for amateur astronomers to contribute valuable findings to the scientific community. This landmark observation opens new avenues for understanding stellar evolution and supernova mechanics.
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An amateur astronomer was testing a new camera and spotted it. Originally posted in Nature. (paywall, but you can capture some images from the page)
http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature25151

His discovery, reported Wednesday in the journal Nature, is a landmark for astronomy. Buso’s images are the first to capture the brief “shock breakout” phase of a supernova, when a wave of energy rolls from a star’s core to its exterior just before the star explodes. Computer models had suggested the existence of this phase, but no one had witnessed it.

Above quote from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ientist-had-ever-seen/?utm_term=.5d7443f35cd4
 
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Wow. Talk about looking at the right place at the right time with the right equipment...
 
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