![]() NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which arrived at Jupiter in 2016, does not have a science instrument capable of detecting X-rays however, it is collecting other data at the polar regions that scientists hope to combine with the X-MM and Chandra data to better understand the planet’s auroras. The researchers observed Jupiter using both space observatories in May and June of 2016 and in March 2007 to map the planet’s X-ray emissions and identify X-ray hot spots at its poles. “We need to study this further to develop ideas for how Jupiter produces its X-ray aurora, and NASA’s Juno mission is really important for this.” “We didn’t expect to see Jupiter’s X-ray hot spots pulsing independently, as we thought their activity would be coordinated through the planet’s magnetic field,” explained study lead author William Dunn of both UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory in the UK and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. X-ray pulses at Jupiter’s south pole occur regularly every 11 minutes while those at its north pole are chaotic, with unpredictable increases and decreases in brightness. Saturn does not appear to experience any X-ray auroras. Researchers at University College in London and at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics led a study of high-energy X-ray auroras at both of Jupiter’s poles and were surprised to learn that unlike auroras on the poles of other planets, those at Jupiter’s poles do not mirror one another but pulse independently.Īctivities of Earth’s north and south pole auroras mirror one another. Author Jay Richards Posted on OctoCategories Astronomy, SPACE, Stars Leave a comment on Astronomers discover extremely luminous nova Auroras at Jupiter’s poles act independentlyĪuroras in Jupiter’s north and south polar regions act independently of one another, according to observations conducted by a study team using the European Space Agency’s (ESA) X-MM-Newton telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Paul Kuin of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London, who organized the UV data, described the ability to observe the nova in multiple wavelengths as key to this being the most comprehensive nova study ever conducted.įindings of the study have been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The X-ray data were essential in showing that the mass of the white dwarf is close to the theoretical maximum continued accretion might cause it eventually to be totally destroyed in a supernova explosion.” “It was able to observe the nova throughout its eruption, starting to collect very useful X-ray and UV data within a day of the outburst first being reported. “Swift’s ability to respond rapidly, together with its daily-planned schedule, makes it ideal for the followup of transients, including novae,” said Swift team X-ray analysis leader Kim Page of the University of Leicester. Approximately 35 are seen in the Milky Way each year. This is the first time astronomers have spotted a nova in the Small Magellanic Cloud. By studying their emissions in various wavelengths, scientists can determine their temperatures and compositions. White dwarfs emit both visible light and high-energy X-rays. Centuries ago, astronomers thought these suddenly bright objects to be new stars as opposed to what they really are–dying old ones. Led by researchers at the South African Astronomical Observatory, the scientists also observed the nova with ground-based telescopes in several countries, including South Africa, Australia, and South America.ĭesignated SMCN 2016-10a, the nova, one of the brightest observed in any galaxy, was discovered on October 14, 2016. Using NASA’s Swift satellite, scientists at the University of Leicester discovered the extremely bright nova, caused by the white dwarf’s sucking of material from the regular star until critical pressure was reached, causing the sudden brightness increase. The Small Magellanic Cloud is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way located about 200,000 light years away. White dwarfs are stellar remnants of stars not massive enough to have died in supernova explosions. ![]() What might be one of the most luminous stars ever detected is actually a nova or explosion that occurred in a binary system consisting of a white dwarf and Sun-like star in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
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