"Unveiling the Evolution of Exploding Stars: Closest Supernova in a Decade Sheds Light"

Astronomers have observed the closest supernova since 2014, providing valuable insights into the evolution of exploding stars. The supernova, named SN 2023ixf, occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy, located 21 million light years from Earth. The early measurements of polarized light from the supernova revealed the evolving shape of the explosion, shedding light on the geometry of the object emitting the light. The observations indicated that the star had shed gas for several years before the explosion, challenging previous assumptions about mass loss. The findings could help refine the use of Type II supernovae as distance measures in the expanding universe.