Echo of Ancient Cosmic Explosion Seen

Source: Space.com

Astronomers have seen a ghost…sort of.

Astronomers from Harvard University and NASA recently captured a supernova's blinding flash 'echoing' off dust 400 light-years from the detonation site.

Supernova remnant (SNR) 0509-67.5, as the dead star's remains are known, lies about 160,000 light-years from Earth — which means the light we see from actually began its journey 160,000 years ago. The newly observed echo was created in this manner: Light from the blast traveled for 400 years across the sky, not heading our way, then bounced off stuff and began its journey toward us.

"We have a chance here to see the supernova in both the past and the present," said Armin Rest, an astronomer at Harvard University who co-authored one of two new studies on supernovae. "We can see light from the blast bouncing off of dust, and we can also see the supernova remnants. It's kind of like having a time machine."

You can read the full story by Dave Mosher here.

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