Extreme Weight Loss: Star Sheds Unexpected Amounts of Mass Just Before Going Supernova

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Extreme Weight Loss: Star Sheds Unexpected Amounts of Mass Just Before Going Supernova

Evidence of extreme pre-explosion mass loss in a recently discovered supernova indicates there may be more going on in the last year of a star's life than previously thought.

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A newly discovered nearby supernova whose star ejected up to a full solar mass of material in the year prior to its explosion is challenging the standard theory of stellar evolution. The new observations are giving astronomers insight into what happens in the final year prior to a star’s death and explosion.

SN 2023ixf is a new Type II supernova discovered in May 2023 by amateur astronomer Kōichi Itagaki of Yamagata, Japan shortly after its progenitor, or origin star, exploded. Located about 20 million light-years away in the Pinwheel Galaxy, SN 2023ixf's proximity to Earth, the supernova's extreme brightness, and its young age make it a treasure trove of observable data for scientists studying the death of massive stars in supernova explosions.

Read More: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics