Space research

Afraid of zombie stars? Expert: “Dandelion”

Astronomical abbreviation "SN 1181". What happened behind the event, which is actually centuries of history.(Bild: Adam Makarenko)

A dark spot for centuries: an internationally active institute in Klosterneuburg has now reconstructed a stellar firework - from a distance of many light years and from its dark remains. It was even possible to determine the exact year in which the explosion occurred (1181 AD). 

When a luminous dot appeared virtually out of nowhere in a constellation, Chinese skywatchers were thrilled. However, as the small "white dwarf" grew bigger and brighter, the sky researchers - the year was 1181 - became frightened. When the structure suddenly disappeared into nothingness after almost six months, a zombie event was once suspected. Today we know that it was the last gasp of a star into a supernova, which only very rarely leaves behind usable remnants of matter. They were only rediscovered in 2021 thanks to modern technology.

Ilaria Caiazzo and her colleagues, with the help of astro colleagues, analyzed numerous data and created an impressive "historical retrospective".(Bild: ISTA)

Changing work of art of matter moves astronomers
The task of reconstructing this very special supernova explosion using state-of-the-art equipment and highly sensitive data was given to astronomer Ilaria Caiazzo. And lo and behold: the supposed zombie point of light was actually an optical sensation - "a wonderful phenomenon, similar to a living dandelion whose filaments grew longer and longer", as the assistant professor at the International Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), based in Klosterneuburg, enthusiastically recounts, which fascinates colleagues all over the world. The name for the cosmic fireworks, typically assigned by astronomers in short form, is comparatively inconspicuous: "SN 1181".