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Famous supernova left a blazing hot neutron star at its centre

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed that a nearby supernova researchers have been watching since it exploded in 1987 left behind a hot neutron star

By Leah Crane

22 February 2024

Researchers have tracked the development of supernova 1987A since the stellar explosion began

NASA/STScI/CfA/P.Challis

Scientists have finally figured out what is at the centre of a nearby supernova. Supernova 1987A is the first stellar explosion that we have been able to track in detail since it began, and now we know that it left behind a hot neutron star.

There are two possible objects that can be left behind after a star explodes in a supernova: a neutron star, which is a dense stellar corpse made up of primarily neutrons, and…

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