"Heavy Metal" Supernova

M. Weiss/CfA
July 31, 2017
Media Photo/Video

Photos for News Media Use Only

Social Media Share Tools
artists rendering of supernova
M. Weiss/CfA

This artist’s impression of SN 2017egm shows the power source for this extraordinarily bright supernova. The explosion was triggered by a massive star that collapsed to form a neutron star with an extremely strong magnetic field and rapid spin, called a magnetar. Debris from the supernova explosion is shown in blue and the magnetar is shown in red.

Credit: M. Weiss/CfA