Understanding Supernovas

This is an intriguing supernova remnant (named G299.2-2.9) found about 16,000 light years away in the Milky Way galaxy. The image of the remnant is a combination of X-ray data from Chandra and infrared data from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey. Astronomers have gathered evidence to show that this remnant is the aftermath of what is called a Type 1A supernova. Type 1A supernovas happen when a white dwarf grows too massive and violently explodes. Astronomers want to understand the exact details of how Type 1A supernovas explode because they use them to measure the accelerated expansion of the universe and study dark energy. Because it is older than most Type 1A supernovas found so far, it provides astronomers with an excellent opportunity to study how these important objects evolve over time.