In 2024 Astronomers discovered Ancora Supernova Remnant (G288.8–6.3) at RA: 157.488°, Dec: −65.214°, using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). It is located in the constellation of Carina.
The radio data revealed a faint shell-like structure, approximately 1.8° × 1.6° in size, located 1,300 light-years away and estimated to be over 13,000 years old. The remnant was later confirmed in Fermi-LAT gamma-ray observations, which detected high-energy emissions
I was able to image what appears to be the first-ever optical image of the Ancora Supernova Remnant, revealing its Hα and OIII filaments!
The remnant is incredibly faint and obscured by over 100,000 foreground stars. In individual subframes nothing was visible. It required a considerable amount of integration time and careful processing to reveal the structure of the SNR.
An interesting question is that considering that super nova remnants often spread over tens of light years, how would they affect planets around other stars that are nearby ?
We haven’t found life on other planets yet, but the question is perhaps still relevant.
When a supernova remnant spreads, the gas it pushes out can significantly affect planets around nearby stars by: heating the atmospheres of planets, potentially stripping away their atmospheres, disrupting planetary formation processes, and enriching the interstellar medium with heavy elements that could be incorporated into newly forming planets; the severity of these effects depends on the proximity of the planets to the supernova remnant and the strength of the explosion.
Extreme radiation from a nearby supernova could sterilize a planet’s surface, significantly impacting any potential life forms.
Planets with thick atmospheres may be better protected from the immediate effects of the supernova radiation.
Obviously all theory, but something to think about when we look at the night sky.
Imaged in H alpha, Oxygen III and RGB on my Planewave DR 350 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image Acquisition and Processing: Mike Selby