Finding Clues in the Ruins of Ancient Dead Star with NASA's Chandra

[Judi Lynn]

27-Mar-2025 11:05 AM EDT, by Chandra X-ray Observatory

BYLINE: Megan Watzke

Newswise — People often think about archaeology happening deep in jungles or inside ancient pyramids. However, a team of astronomers has shown that they can use stars and the remains they leave behind to conduct a special kind of archaeology in space.

Mining data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the team of astronomers studied the relics that one star left behind after it exploded. This “supernova archaeology” uncovered important clues about a star that self-destructed – probably more than a million years ago.

Today, the system called GRO J1655-40 contains a black hole with nearly seven times the mass of the Sun and a star with about half as much mass. However, this was not always the case.

Originally GRO J1655-40 had two shining stars. The more massive of the two stars, however, burned through all of its nuclear fuel and then exploded in what astronomers call a supernova. The debris from the destroyed star then rained onto the companion star in orbit around it, as shown in the artist’s concept.

More:
https://www.newswise.com/articles/finding-clues-in-the-ruins-of-ancient-dead-star-with-nasa-s-chandra