WASHINGTON: NASA is embarking on a new space mission to investigate the role of massive stars, particularly supernovas, in the birth of new stars within our galaxy, according to reports from Western media on Sunday.
The mission, called the Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Experiment, or INFUSE, is scheduled to be launched into space via a small rocket from a launchpad in New Mexico.
Scientists are particularly interested in the remnants of a supernova trail visible in the Cygnus Loop, which was likely created around 20,000 years ago due to the explosive death of a massive star approximately 20 times the size of our Sun.
Brian Fleming, a research professor at the University of Colorado, highlighted the significant impact of supernovas like the one responsible for the Cygnus Loop on the formation of galaxies.
The primary goal of this new mission is to measure the supernova’s effects and observe how it contributes to the creation of new stars in the Milky Way. INFUSE will capture and analyze the energy emitted by the supernova.
Fleming noted that these groundbreaking measurements will provide insights into how the elements released by the supernova interact with their surrounding environment. This mission represents a significant step toward understanding how material from supernovas plays a role in the formation of celestial bodies, including planets like Earth.
