Supernova explosion gives a glimpse of how ingredients for life are created
The spectacular explosion of a star in a distant galaxy (left, above) has given astronomers a rare glimpse of how supernovae blast the basic ingredients for life into the cosmos.
Scientists captured images of the colossal detonation in the Pinwheel galaxy (right, above) 21m light years away within hours of the burst of light from the explosion reaching Earth.
The supernova, called SN2011fe, was the result of a thermonuclear explosion that tore the parent star apart, converting carbon and oxygen into heavier elements, such as nickel, in the process.
The first observations of the supernova were made by the Liverpool Telescope at La Palma in the Canary islands and followed within hours by the Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory in California and the Keck I Telescope on Mauna Kea.
