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SN Refsdal is the first detected multiply-lensed supernova, visible within the field of the
After the discovery of the Refsdal Supernova, astronomers predicted that they would have the rare opportunity to see the supernova again in about one year, after the four images had faded away. This is because the initially observed four-image pattern was only one component of the lensing display. The supernova may have appeared as a single image some 40–50 years ago elsewhere in the cluster field.
The supernova Refsdal reappeared punctually at the predicted position between mid-November 2015 and December 11, 2015 (with the exact date being uncertain by approximately one month which is the interval between two consecutive Hubble observations), in excellent agreement with the blind model predictions made before the reappearance was observed.
The time delay between the original quadruplet observed in 2014 and the latest appearance of the supernova in 2015 was used to infer the value of the
Images of first SN Refsdal in March
an
reappeared in December 2015 at hubblesite.org
NASA’s Hubble Discovers Four Images of Same Supernova Split by Cosmic Lens
- by NASA
Predicted Reappearance of SN Refsdal (March 2015)
The image taken by Hubble around November 2015 shows new supernovae 'SX' in multiply image system
at astro.berkeley.edu.
Hubble Hangout December 17 2015 discussing SN Refsdal
View of Exploding Star Appears, Right on Cue
galaxy cluster
A galaxy cluster, or a cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, with typical masses ranging from 1014 to 1015 solar masses. They are the second-lar ...
MACS J1149+2223. It was given its nickname in honor of the Norwegian astrophysicist Sjur Refsdal
Sjur Refsdal (30 December 1935 – 29 January 2009) was a Norwegian astrophysicist, born in Oslo. He is best known for his pioneer work on gravitational lensing, including the Chang-Refsdal lens.
Biography
In 1970 he earned a doctorate at the ...
, who, in 1964, first proposed using time-delayed images from a lensed supernova to study the expansion of the universe. The observations were made using the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most vers ...
.
Einstein cross
The host galaxy of SN Refsdal is at a redshift of 1.49, corresponding to acomoving distance
In standard cosmology, comoving distance and proper distance are two closely related distance measures used by cosmologists to define distances between objects. ''Proper distance'' roughly corresponds to where a distant object would be at a spec ...
of 14.4 billion light-years and a lookback time
Before Present (BP) years, or "years before present", is a time scale used mainly in archaeology, geology and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred relative to the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s. Becau ...
of 9.34 billion years. The multiple images are arranged around the elliptical galaxy at z = 0.54 in a cross-shaped pattern, also known as an " Einstein cross".
Reappearance
After the discovery of the Refsdal Supernova, astronomers predicted that they would have the rare opportunity to see the supernova again in about one year, after the four images had faded away. This is because the initially observed four-image pattern was only one component of the lensing display. The supernova may have appeared as a single image some 40–50 years ago elsewhere in the cluster field.
The supernova Refsdal reappeared punctually at the predicted position between mid-November 2015 and December 11, 2015 (with the exact date being uncertain by approximately one month which is the interval between two consecutive Hubble observations), in excellent agreement with the blind model predictions made before the reappearance was observed.
The time delay between the original quadruplet observed in 2014 and the latest appearance of the supernova in 2015 was used to infer the value of the Hubble constant
Hubble's law, also known as the Hubble–Lemaître law, is the observation in physical cosmology that galaxies are moving away from Earth at speeds proportional to their distance. In other words, the farther they are, the faster they are moving ...
. This is the first time this technique, originally suggested by Refsdal, has been applied to supernovae.
See also
* Einstein Cross, the gravitationally lensed quasar that gave rise to the term "Einstein cross" *Gravitational lens
A gravitational lens is a distribution of matter (such as a cluster of galaxies) between a distant light source and an observer that is capable of bending the light from the source as the light travels toward the observer. This effect is known ...
, the phenomena that creates visual patterns such as an Einstein cross
* MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1
MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1, also known as Icarus,Other names include ''LS1'', ''MACS J1149 LS1'', ''MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 (LS1)'' and ''MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1'' is a blue supergiant star observed through a gravitational lens. It is the ...
(or Icarus) – most distant star detected (April, 2018)
* WHL0137-LS
WHL0137-LS, also known as Earendel, is a star in the constellation of Cetus. Discovered in 2022 by the Hubble Space Telescope, it is the earliest and most distant known star, at a comoving distance of . The previous furthest known star, MACS J ...
(or Earendel) – most distant star detected (March, 2022)
References
External links
Images of first SN Refsdal in March
an
reappeared in December 2015 at hubblesite.org
NASA’s Hubble Discovers Four Images of Same Supernova Split by Cosmic Lens
- by NASA
Predicted Reappearance of SN Refsdal (March 2015)
The image taken by Hubble around November 2015 shows new supernovae 'SX' in multiply image system
at astro.berkeley.edu.
Hubble Hangout December 17 2015 discussing SN Refsdal
View of Exploding Star Appears, Right on Cue
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...
17 December 2015
{{Supernovae
Supernovae
Gravitational lensing
Leo (constellation)