The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch a special rocket as part of the INFUSE mission to study a supernova explosion that occurred in the constellation Cygnus about 20 thousand years ago. According to the official, the shock wave of this event continues to spread into space Web site Space Agency.
According to astronomical data, 20 thousand years ago, a star 20 times larger than our Sun exploded, 2.6 thousand light years away from Earth. The resulting stellar material is still hurtling through space at 1.5 million kilometers per hour.
The remnant of the stellar explosion known as the Cygnus Loop remains a rare find as it allows the observation of a long-lasting supernova explosion. It shows in real time how heavy elements in the star’s core are returning to the Universe.
“Supernovae like the one that created the Cygnus Cycle have a huge impact on the formation of galaxies,” said INFUSE mission chief Brian Fleming.
To better understand what’s happening in the Cygnus Loop, NASA will send a small sounding rocket into suborbital space on October 29 with technology that allows observations in the ultraviolet range. The device will rise 240 kilometers above the Earth. Astronomers believe the data will provide clues as to where certain elements are located in the shock wave, ultimately helping them better understand the life cycles of stars and galaxies.
Previously at NASA developed nozzle for deep space flights.