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How Supernova 2014J Will Help Determine the Extragalactic Distance Scale and Impact Cosmology
Comparison images from just before the supernova in M82 until Feb 7, 2014. Credit and copyright: Tom Wildoner.
In only three weeks since its discovery on January 21, 2014, much has been learned about the new supernova SN 2014J in Messier 82, the “Cigar” galaxy. In addition to early confirmation based on its spectrum that it is indeed a type Ia supernova, it is now understood to be the nearest type Ia explosion to our Milky Way galaxy since 1986.
Its unique proximity alone makes SN 2014J one the most important supernova ever observed. It will impact our understanding both of the type Ia-class of supernovae and of the Universe as a whole, because our Universe’s size, age, and ultimate fate are linked intimately to observations of type Ia supernovae, and because the precision with which they can be applied to estimate Universal-scale distances depends crucially on the nearest examples. SN 2014J is very likely to remain the nearest anchor-point in the type Ia supernovae-based distance scale for decades to come.
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Read the rest of How Supernova 2014J Will Help Determine the Extragalactic Distance Scale and Impact Cosmology (1,172 words)
© Ian Steer for Universe Today, 2014. |
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Source: http://www.universetoday.com/109278/how-supernova-2014j-will-help-determine-the-extragalactic-distance-scale-and-impact-cosmology/
