Astronomers find 'lost' supernova
Thursday, March 7, 2013 - 16:40
in Astronomy & Space
Supernova explosions of massive stars are common in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, where new stars are forming all the time. They are almost never seen in elliptical galaxies where star formation has nearly ceased. As a result, astronomers were surprised to find a young-looking supernova in an old galaxy.