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Kepler’s Supernova, which is named after German astronomer Johannes Kepler, was one of the more popular supernovas in the visible universe, and it’s one of the more recent supernovas to have been visible to the naked eye at only 20,000 light years away from the Earth. Today, NASA posted up some recent findings of the supernova’s explosion based on remnants.

Observed with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the remnant of Kepler’s Supernova shows red, green, and blue colors, which represent low, intermediate, and high energy X-rays. It has already been said that the type of explosion was a “Type Ia” supernova, or the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf star, but there’s an ongoing controversy about these types of explosions.

However, a recent study suggests that the explosion of Kepler’s Supernova was triggered by an interaction between a white dwarf and a red giant star. The evidence from Chandra shows a disk-shaped structure near the center of the supernova’s remnant, and researchers are saying that the explosion was caused by the collision between supernova debris and disk-shaped material that the giant star spit out.

Kepler’s Supernova was first discovered in 1604 by Kepler, and he ended up tracking the supernova for a full year. It was only the second supernova to be observed in a generation, and no further supernovas have since been observed like that within the Milky Way. The remnant left behind is said to be one of a kind, which is why many astronomers have been focusing on it for years.

Kepler’s Supernova remnant provides possible evidence of explosion is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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America’s space shuttle program may have come to an end when Atlantis was laid to rest at the Kennedy Space Center, but that’s done nothing to dampen our interest in the universe through which we float. NASA’s Curiosity captivates us with pictures and data from the Martian surface, and private ventures are popping up to replace shuttered, publicly funded programs. Join the SS Engadget for our panel on the future of space exploration — introduced by Patrick O’Neill of the ISS, steered by our captain Brian Heater, and manned by Tom Rivellini of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Alexandra Hall of Google’s Lunar X PRIZE, and Michael Laine of the LiftPort Group.

For a full list of Expand sessions, be sure to check out our event hub.

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The red planet is an alien world, and though it may have once held life, it’s certainly no Earth. But thanks to a recent, mammoth panorama shot by Curiosity, we can get a glimpse of what it would be like if one of Mars’ mountains was transplanted here to ol’ Terra. More »

NASA has just finish testing and integration of its first high-data-rate laser communications system for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE). The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration presents a significant upgrade in existing data communications used in space — with an estimated increase of six times the throughput of the current best radio system. Unlike previous one-way demonstrations, the LCDD uses an infrared beam — in the same way that many land-based fiber networks do — that can be received on Earth by one of three telescopes located in Mexico, California or Spain. It’s not just about upping the data rate, though, as other challenges include keeping that signal good through conditions your ISP (thankfully) won’t normally have to consider, such as pin-point accuracy over 238,900 miles while moving through space. Going forward, the LLCD will play a vital part in NASA’s 2017 Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, a key test of laser-based relay comms in future missions. Back here on Earth, however, we never thought we’d get bandwidth-envy this far out in the sticks.

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Source: NASA

We’ve long missed the stickers and badges we could wear to show achievements in our childhood, whether it was an A+ in History or our campfire-making chops. Mozilla must miss those too, as it’s launching Open Badges 1.0, a spec for proving skills on the web. The approach provides verifiable credentials that are stowed away in a virtual Mozilla backpack and shareable through a number of online avenues, starting with WordPress blogs and Twitter updates. You won’t necessarily need to be a web scripting wizard to earn badges, either — they’re available or coming from 600-plus companies and educational institutions that include Disney-Pixar, NASA and the Smithsonian. We’re a long way from only having to flash our Open Badges to land a job, but those symbols may be enough to let teachers and coworkers know we’re up to snuff for key tasks.

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Source: Mozilla Open Badges