(CTN News) – Stunning images of a dying star have been captured by an Australian supercomputer.
For scientists to transform data from the Askap (Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder) telescope array into real images, a supercomputer was required.
For processing and converting into science-ready images, Askap data was transferred to the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre in Perth, Western Australia.
A new supercomputer called Setonix – named after Australia’s favourite animal, the quokka, aka Setonix brachyurus – produced the final images, which included the traces of a dying star.
CSIRO operates Askap, which consists of 36 dish antennas that work together as one telescope.
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are the remains of powerful explosions from dying stars.
Located 10,000 to 15,000 light-years away, the star is more than a million years old!
Scientists will be able to study the supernova in unprecedented detail thanks to the image.
We are in the first of two installation stages for Setonix, and the second should be completed later this year.
The vast amounts of data can be processed much faster with this method.
It will enable researchers to discover new objects in space and help them better understand our universe.
As the supercomputer ramps up to full operation, the Askap telescope array will soon take on larger and deeper surveys of the sky.
It’s just one of many features that have been revealed, and there will be many more to come.
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