Seeing stellar explosions in high definition

An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Michigan, has captured unprecedented images of two stellar explosions—known as novae—within days of their eruption.

Images of Nova Herculis 2021 (V1674 Her) taken with the CHARA Array, two and three days after the eruption began. The images show two outflows expanding in nearly perpendicular directions, forming an hourglass-like structure consistent with theoretical predictions, which are illustrated in the rightmost artistic impression.

Images of…

Continue Reading