Supernova shrapnel hits our solar system
Iron generated by the fury of a nearby and recent stellar explosion has been detected by a NASA mission
Tiny particles of iron generated by nearby supernovae captured by NASA satellite
Particles generated in relatively recent, relatively close supernovae have been captured by a NASA satellite. An instrument on NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft, detected charged particles of radioactive iron that must have been produced by stellar explosions that occurred within a a few hundred light years of us, only about two million years ago.
According to Dr. Martin Israel, a professor of Physics from Washington University in St. Louis, at least two supernovae would have been necessary, one to create the iron, and a second to blast it out on a journey towards us.
Dr. Israel suggests it might be possible now to find the remnants of these supernova, in groups of young stars in our galactic neighbourhood.
Related Links
- Paper in Science
- Washington University in St. Louis release
- The Verge story
- Los Angeles Times story