Supernova in the spotlight! Astronomers discover stellar explosion with their ‘cosmic magnifying glasses’.

Hey, space adventurers! Today we are going to talk about something mind-blowing: the fusion of time and space! According to the genius of science, Einstein, it turns out that these two concepts come together in a thing called “space-time”. Can you imagine? It’s as if the universe has its own special sauce! Now get this: giant objects like galaxies can bend spacetime to their will. It’s like cosmic lenses! The gravity of these superstars bends light as it travels through space, just as a magnifying glass magnifies things. Imagine seeing beyond the far and dim thanks to this galactic hack!

Recently, an international team of scientists did something incredible, they discovered a supernova called “SN Zwicky” more than 4 billion light years away. But wait, the crazy thing is that this supernova was magnified almost 25 times thanks to a naughty galaxy acting as a lens. What a genius! This gives us the opportunity to learn more about the secrets of galaxies, dark matter, and how our universe is expanding. But how did they find this special supernova? Thanks to some super powerful instruments and a keen eye for the exceptional! Scientists detected it at the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) because of its unusual brightness; They then used telescopes in space and on the ground to observe it from different angles and confirm that gravitational lensing was responsible for its dazzling glow.

Now for the magnificent: SN Zwicky is not only a magnified supernova, but it is also what they call a “standard candle”. No, we’re not talking about birthdays here! It turns out that these supernovae have a known glow, like candles in a dark room. And that allows us to measure distances in space without having to do complicated surveys! A cosmic wonder, don’t you think? In addition to helping us measure distances, SN Zwicky opens new doors for us to investigate galaxies and their secrets. It may even help us understand dark matter and that mysterious dark energy that is pushing the universe to expand. It’s as if this lensed supernova were a master key to unlock the riddles of the cosmos!

Our hero astronomer, Igor Andreoni of the University of Maryland, is excited by this discovery. He is preparing a cool observatory called the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will be fully operational in 2024. Imagine everything you will find with that super panoramic vision! More supernovae, more asteroids, and many more secrets of the universe are waiting to be discovered. So keep your eyes on the sky, star explorers! SN Zwicky is just the beginning of a cosmic adventure that will take us to unimaginable places. With this unique approach and the help of extensive, directionless surveys of the sky, we will be able to explore the universe like never before! Get ready for an unprecedented heavenly experience!