An important discovery of a supernova remnant in the Milky Way, identified as G278.94+1.35, has been made by an international team of astronomers. This structure, the result of the explosion of a massive star, was initially thought to be about 8,800 light-years away. The new discoveries have changed this distance to about 3,300 light-years, making it closer than previously calculated. The estimated physical dimension of the remnant has also been adjusted to approximately 182 light-years at 189, as opposed to an earlier estimate of 500 light-years.

Insights from the study

According to The study, published Dec. 30 on the preprint server arXiv, sheds light on the properties of this residue. A research team led by Professor Miroslav D. Filipovic of the University of Western Sydney made the observations using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) as part of the ASKAP-Evolutionary Map of the Universe project. These observations revealed the nearly circular shape and elongated nature of the remains, now named “Diprotodon”, a tribute to an extinct giant marsupial from Australia.

The research team attributed the name to raise awareness of Australia’s prehistoric megafauna and the ongoing extinction challenges. The results, as reported by phys.org, indicate that the supernova remnant is in a radiative evolutionary phase, suggesting continued expansion.

Features and Importance

Diprotodon’s progenitor star is estimated to be 15 times the mass of the Sun. The kinetic energy released during the explosion is about 500 quindecillion ergs. The spectral index of the remnant, which measures around -0.55, aligns with typical shell-type remnants observed in the Galaxy. These features make it among the largest supernova remnants, providing valuable insight into the dynamics of such structures.

The study provides important data on the formation, expansion, and current state of Diprotodon, contributing to a broader understanding of supernova remnants within the Milky Way.