SN 185, RCW 86, Supernova, Infrared
Infrared data from NASA's SST, as well as NASA's WISE are shown in yellow and red, and reveal dust radiating at a temperature of several hundred degrees below zero, warm by comparison to normal dust in our Milky Way galaxy. RCW 86 remains of the oldest documented example of a supernova. By studying X-ray and infrared data, astronomers were able to determine that the cause of the explosion witnessed nearly 2,000 years ago was a Type Ia supernova, in which an otherwise-stable white dwarf was pushed beyond the brink of stability when a companion star dumped material onto it. By blowing a wind prior to exploding, the white dwarf was able to clear out a huge cavity, a region of very low-density surrounding the system. The explosion into this cavity was able to expand much faster than it otherwise would have. This is the first time that this type of cavity has been seen around a white dwarf system prior to explosion. Scientists say the results may have significant implications for theories of white-dwarf binary systems and Type Ia supernovae. RCW 86 is approximately 8,000 light-years away. Release date October 26, 2011.
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