Finally, an Explanation for the “String of Pearls” in Supernova 1987A
Finally, an Explanation for the “String of Pearls” in Supernova 1987A Not long after the explosion of Supernova 1987a, astronomers were abuzz with predictions about how it might look in a few years. They suggested a pulsar would show up soon and many said that the expanding gas cloud would encounter earlier material ejected from the star. The collision would light up the region around the event and sparkle like diamonds. Today, astronomers look at the site of the stellar catastrophe and see an expanding, glowing ring of light. Over the years, its shape has changed to a clumpy-looking string of pearls. What’s happening toRead More →