A new discovery by astronomers on the other side of the globe has revealed an astounding phenomenon- the stellar corpse– or a dead star– of a Tasmanian Devil. And it’s a first of its kind.
First spotted by the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the source, which stands to be the first radio wave signal ever observed from a Tasmanian Devil, surprised the researchers. The brand-new supernova remnant, which has come to be known as “Taz”, is located in galaxies that can be spotted in the constellation of Puppis.
Wondering what a Tasmanian Devil looks like in radio waves? Well, the signal of Taz is about 2000 times stronger than the average background of the Universe. It is believed to be composed of high-energy particles, which could not be observed in visible light.
Scientists deem the discovery quite extraordinary. In the past, only supernova explosions in galaxies could create such a luminescent signal in the radio spectrum. To be able to detect a stellar corpse from a Tasmanian Devil in the same spectrum marks a novel achievement for astronomers.
The stellar corpse of Taz is said to present evidence of a history of stellar evolution that has not been seen before. Further, the remnant has come to both validate and test traditional understanding of how stars die.
Incidentally, the probability of a similar scenario repeating itself soon is nearly impossible.
Truly, the discovery of Taz is not only unprecedented but also deeply significant. And who knows what other cosmic secrets may come to light in the Universe? Hopefully, the surprise of Taz will be just the start of many more enthralling miracles of the Cosmos.
