Cassiopeia A is Finally Revealed

Today is a very exciting day for NASA astronomers and stargazers alike. NASA announced that the Milky Way's Cassiopeia A, a supernova that has eluded us for over 20 years, is now visible with special X-ray equipment. The special X-ray equipment is courtesy of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, in conjunction with the help of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array (VLA).

According to NASA astronomers, what made the supernova so elusive was the muck of gases and debris floating in the solar system near the core of the supernova's epicenter. Once the X-ray satellite is in other parts of the solar system, the supernova is clearly visible.

David Green, leader of the Very Large Array project, started using radio wave technology to show Cassiopeia A's existence in 1985. On July 23, 1999, Chandra launched into the solar system, in a tag team quest with VLA to seek out solar phenomenon too difficult to see with the solar dust and gases.

So, everyone is asking, "What is the big deal about viewing a supernova?" The big deal is this; supernovas, or stars that have already exploded, and that are in the dying process, can turn into one of two things: a neutron star or a black hole.

if the core of the dying star compresses to a certain point that the electrons and protons of all its atoms crush together to combine into a mass of nothing but neutrons, you have a neutron star. Neutron stars are super dense, and emit light like a revolving beacon. If the mass becomes so dense to the point of perpetual collapsing, then it surpasses neutron star material and end up becoming a black hole. A black hole is essentially a dimensionless point in space; the only indication to how massive it is will be the size of its Event Horizon. New black holes can range from 6-12 miles across, but they grow as more and more material falls in. It is kind of like a space tornado. The more it "eats" the larger it becomes.

Therefore, monitoring what stage the supernova is going to next will help humans prepare for the repercussions of this supernova's actions in the future.

And it's pretty awesome to look at too!