Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed a neutron star emerging from the remnants of a massive star explosion, providing the first direct evidence of such an event.
The supernova, known as SN 1987A, occurred approximately 160,000 light-years away from Earth and was initially observed in February 1987. This event marked the first time a supernova was visible to the naked eye since Kepler's Supernova in 1604.
SN 1987A was identified as a core-collapse supernova, indicating the formation of either a neutron star or a black hole at its core. The recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope confirm the presence of a neutron star.
In 1987, observatories detected a burst of neutrinos hours before the visible light observation of SN 1987A, suggesting the formation of a neutron star or black hole. Nearly 37 years later, Webb's observations provide conclusive evidence of a neutron star.
Neutron stars are highly dense astronomical objects formed from the remnants of massive star explosions. They pack an immense amount of mass into a small diameter, exhibiting densities several times that of the Sun.
Scientists utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to capture simultaneous images and spectra of SN 1987A in July 2022. This observational approach revealed signatures of ionized argon indicative of high-energy radiation, suggesting the presence of a neutron star.
Webb's observations employed a specific instrument mode where a spectrum is obtained for every image pixel, enabling detailed analysis of the supernova remnant.
Analysis of the spectral data confirmed the presence of ionized argon near the center of the remnant, a phenomenon consistent with the presence of a neutron star. The research team concluded that only a few scenarios, all involving a neutron star, could explain the observed signatures.
Further observations are planned for the coming year, utilizing both the James Webb Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes to continue studying SN 1987A and its associated neutron star.