Supernova Archives

Formation and evolution of the disk. Top: gas surface densities (in log g cm−2) for the inner 200 au of the disk are shown at 13, 21, 30, 40, 50, and 60 kyr after protostellar birth in (a)–(f). -- The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Planet Formation at Cosmic Dawn: Planetesimals in H2O-rich Disks around Low-mass Stars

by Keith CowingSeptember 10, 2026September 10, 2026

[The Astrophysical Journal Letters]. Primordial, or Population III (Pop III), supernovae (SNe) were the first nucleosynthetic engines in the Universe, forging the heavy elements required for the later formation of […]

Time evolution of the probability distribution of the system for different temperatures as labeled and for fixed parameters: V=106 km3 , L=10 53 erg/s, r=0.01 AU, Grac=26.30 kJ/mol. The vertical axis is enantiomeric excess, and the horizontal axis is time in Myr scale. -- [astro-ph.HE]

Astrochemistry

Supernova Neutrinos And The Origin of Biomolecular Homochirality

by Keith CowingJuly 16, 2026July 16, 2026

[astro-ph.HE] We investigate the role of parity-violating interactions between supernova neutrinos and chiral molecules in nearby interstellar molecular clouds as a potential source of biomolecular homochirality.

An artist's impression of the warm molecular gas cradle (hot core) surrounding a baby star discovered in a supernova remnant. Blue represents high-energy particles and photons produced by the supernova explosion, while brown represents interstellar matter. Credit: Takashi Shimonishi (Niigata University) [Based on observational results from this study, using drawing assistance from Google Gemini and ChatGPT]

Astrochemistry

Diverse Organic Molecules Discovered Surrounding A Newly Formed Star

by Keith CowingJuly 9, 2026July 9, 2026

[Niigata University] For the first time, astronomers have discovered stellar cocoons rich in complex organic molecules within a supernova remnant. A research team from Niigata University, Gifu University, RIKEN, and […]

The main image at left shows a combined Webb and Hubble view of spiral galaxy NGC 1637, with the region of interest Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Kilpatrick (Northwestern), A. Suresh (Northwestern); Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI) Larger image

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry: JWST Locates Supernova Progenitor Was Surrounded By Carbon-rich Dust

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026

For the first time, astronomers have used images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to identify a supernova progenitor that could not be seen by any other telescope: a […]

This image of the Helix Nebula from the Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of the planetary nebula, with a box highlighting the smaller field of view from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (right). Larger images

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry: Webb Reveals The Helix Nebula In Glistening Detail

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2026

One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, the Helix Nebula has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying […]

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

The Role Of Supernova Remnants For The Emergence Of Pre-biotic Chemistry In Molecular Clouds

by Keith CowingDecember 19, 2025December 19, 2025

There is growing evidence that the Sun might have formed within a nebula impacted by at least one SNR. In this scenario, ejecta and shocks from SNRs may have provided […]

Schematic picture of the system assumed in this study. (a) A supernova explosion occurs at a distance 𝑑 from the protosolar disk, and (b) the expanding supernova shockwave contacts the protosolar disk. At this time, a huge number of accelerated particles are trapped in the shockwave region. With the contact, (c-1) SLRs synthesized inside the supernova are directly injected into the disk, and (c-2) particles trapped inside the shockwave irradiate the disk, causing nucleosynthesis within the disk. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Cosmic-Ray Bath in a Past Supernova Gives Birth to Earth-Like Planets

by Keith CowingDecember 15, 2025December 15, 2025

A key question in astronomy is how ubiquitous Earth-like rocky planets are. The formation of terrestrial planets in our solar system was strongly influenced by the radioactive decay heat of […]

This image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows different structural details of the Crab Nebula. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University) larger image

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Interstellar Ices as Carriers of Supernova Material to the Early Solar System

by Keith CowingDecember 5, 2025June 11, 2026

Planetary materials show systematic variations in their nucleosynthetic isotope compositions that resonate with orbital distance. The origin of this pattern remains debated, limiting how these isotopic signatures can be used […]

Red, green and blue represent Chandra X-ray images of O- (0.6–0.85 keV), Si- (1.76–1.94 keV) and Fe-enhanced (6.54–6.92 keV) regions, respectively. The white grids indicate the fields of view of our two-pointing observations with XRISM/Resolve, which has a 6 × 6 pixel array: a pixel at a corner is only used for calibration. Pixels we selected for our spectral analysis are highlighted in yellow. In the south-east (SE) and north (N) regions, we examined the spectrum of each pixel and selected those exhibiting large equivalent widths of K emission; the spatial distribution of these pixels closely matches that of the O and Si emission lines. In contrast, the west (W) region exhibits weak O line intensity, and the K emission line in its spectrum is faint (Fig. 2).-- Nature

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Astrochemistry: Where The Elements Come From

by Keith CowingDecember 4, 2025December 4, 2025

“Why are we here?” is humanity’s most fundamental and persistent question. Tracing the origins of the elements is a direct attempt to answer this at its deepest level. We know […]

Locations of the five stars (yellow circles) that dominate the ionization of the local clouds, shown in Galactic coordinates

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Stellar Cartography

Close Brush With Two Hot Stars Left A Mark Just Beyond Our Solar System

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2025December 2, 2025

Nearly 4.5 million years ago, two large, hot stars brushed tantalizingly close to Earth’s sun. They left behind a trace in the clouds of gas and dust that swirl just […]