Multimedia Gallery
Rare Supernova Explosion (Image 2)
Engine-driven supernova explosion, with accretion disk and high-velocity jets.
This is the first time astronomers have found a supernova explosion with properties similar to a gamma-ray burst, but without seeing any gamma rays from it. Scientists expect the discovery--made using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope--will point the way toward locating many more examples of these mysterious explosions. Radio observations will be a more powerful tool for discovering these kind of supernova in the universe than gamma-ray satellites.
To learn more about the discovery, see the NRAO news story "Astronomers Find Rare Beast by New Means." (Date of Image: 2009) [Image 2 of 2 related images. Back to Image 1.]
Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF
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