Hubble spies a star set to go supernova

Zee Media Bureau\Philaso G Kaping

Washington: The Hubble telescope has chanced upon a giant star ready to explode in a spectacular style, according to NASA. This giant star, located 20,000 light-years away, is nestled inside a nebula known as [SBW2007] 1 but nicknamed SBW1. “The star was originally twenty times more massive than our sun, and is now encased in a swirling ring of purple gas, the remains of the distant era when it cast off its outer layers via violent pulsations and winds.” said NASA. “But the star is not just any star; scientists say that it is destined to go supernova.” This star also serves as a snapshot of another star which went supernova twenty-six years ago. According to NASA, early Hubble images of SN 1987A show eerie similarities to SBW1. Both stars had identical rings of the same size and age, which were travelling at similar speeds; both were located in similar HII regions; and they had the same brightness.