Calcium-rich supernova, or stellar explosions, produce huge amounts of calcium in just seconds. And now, scientists have managed to capture one with X-ray imaging for the first time.
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00:00Fun fact, exploded stars created half of the calcium in the universe.
00:08That means our teeth and bones are basically the remnants of a dead star that blew up.
00:14But calcium-rich supernova are so rare, scientists have trouble studying them.
00:18Now, for the first time ever, scientists examine one with X-ray imaging,
00:23revealing an unprecedented look at a star during the last moments of its life.
00:27The team of researchers led by Northwestern University found that the supernova emitted the most calcium ever observed in a single event.
00:36The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, used data from the W.M. Keck Observatory,
00:41which reveals that a calcium-rich supernova is a compact star shedding an outer layer of gas in its final days.
00:48When the star blows up, material collides and it creates a chemical reaction that produces calcium due to super-hot temperatures and high pressure.
00:56Previously, scientists had indirect information about these supernovae, but now they can rule out many possibilities.