You might have heard already that looking into space is like look back into the past times . The light from distant stars and extragalactic nebula has take eons to reach our eyes and telescopes .
But there ’s a flaw in this time machine : The light comes from a specific moment . You ca n’t look further back in time for a specific aim . An external team of astronomers , however , has observe an challenging way around the issue .
The research , run by student Joseph Callingham of the University of Sydney , used very small - frequency wireless waves to observe the part around a famous supernova , and thanks to this stellar snort , the scientist were able-bodied to calculate out the last few million years in the life of the star .
“ Just like unearth and studying ancient ruination that teach us about the sprightliness of a retiring refinement , my confrere and I have used humble - frequency wireless observations as a windowpane into the genius ’s life , ” Callingham said in astatement .
The supernova in question is called 1987A , the brightest and closest supernova since the invention of the scope . It is site in the enceinte Magellanic Cloud , one of the satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way .
Thanks to 10 of multi - wavelength observations of the Large Magellanic Cloud , stargazer have known that the progenitor star of 1987A was a blue supergiant star , an unstable character of star with a typical lifespan of 20,000 years .
star seldom get to the juicy supergiant stage , normally exploding while they are still red supergiants . During this time , the red star spews cloth into space , and while this was already expected , the enquiry published in theMonthly Notices of the Royal galactic Societyshows that the red supergiant phase of 1987A drop off issue at a slower rate and had dull starring winds than antecedently assume .
“ Our new data meliorate our knowledge of the composition of space in the region of supernova 1987A ; we can now go back to our simulations and tweak them , to better restore the physics of supernova explosions , ” Callingham said .
So far , low - frequency radio receiver observations have been unmanageable due to interference from FM radiocommunication . The investigator alternatively used a telescope in the Australian outback to be out of range from other stations , and in doing so , have shown that low - frequency wireless observations are deserving pursuing .
Speaking to IFLScience , Mr Callingham said that the most exciting use for low - frequency wireless waves " would be to observe young galaxies as you could use them to forebode their evolutionary path . So you may auspicate how many would become just like the milklike Way ! "
