NASA's Hubble Space Telescope broke all previous records when it found the farthest supernova of the type used to measure cosmic distances.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was successful in spotting the farthest supernova UDS10Wil and nicknamed as SN Wilson. According to officials of the space agency, this discovery will help them have a better understanding of the nature of the universe. The supernova is said to have exploded 10 billion years ago.
"This new distance record holder opens a window into the early universe, offering important new insights into how these stars explode," said David O. Jones of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., an astronomer and lead author on the paper detailing the discovery. "We can test theories about how reliable these detonations are for understanding the evolution of the universe and its expansion."
This supernova belongs to special type of Type Ia category supernovas. Its bright beacons provide a consistent level of brightness that can be used by scientists to measure the expansion of space and also give clues to the nature of dark energy, the mysterious force accelerating the rate of expansion.
"The Type Ia supernovae give us the most precise yardstick ever built, but we're not quite sure if it always measures exactly a yard," said team member Steve Rodney of Johns Hopkins University. "The more we understand these supernovae, the more precise our cosmic yardstick will become."
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md., conducts Hubble science operations. The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc., in Washington operates STScI.
