A star in a distant galaxy, named the Pinwheel Galaxy or Messier 101, has just exploded in a supernova. It briefly lights up its corner of the universe, and in doing so, it becomes a beacon across space and time. Picture 2 shows where the supernova is, and what the galaxy looked like before this supernova explosion in 2009 (Hubble Image released by ESA).
This star has spent its life brewing elements in its fiery heart. When the star can’t sustain itself anymore, it goes out with a bang, spreading the elements back to space. Elements that one day would form planets, asteroids, maybe even life itself. Every bit of us – our heart, our bones, the blood running in our veins – was once part of a star like this. In a poetic way, we’re children of the stars. Even though it’s millions of light-years away, it reminds us of our connection to the universe.
A supernova is the universe’s way of saying there’s a beginning even in an ending. In destruction, there’s creation. It’s a cosmic cycle of life and death, played out in the theater of the universe. And we, made of star-stuff, are privileged to be a part of this grand scheme, watching as the star fades, then bursts, and then lives on in a different form. How beautiful is that?
(The image was created using a combination of archived data and my own data acquired from iTelescope. I processed them using Pixinsight and Photoshop).
