• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
Supernova SN 2014C (Optical and X-Ray) This image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (insets) shows spiral galaxy NGC 7331, center, where astronomers observed the unusual supernova SN 2014C. Credit: X-ray images: NASA/CXC/CIERA/R.Margutti et al; Optical image: SDSS

When Stars Shed Their Skins: The Strange Case of SN 2014C

February 10, 2025
This concept shows an Earth-like world with clouds and liquid surface water orbiting a red dwarf star. Credit: Lynette Cook

New Research Reveals Clouds Can Amplify Signs of Life on Exoplanets

May 29, 2025
PSR B1509−58 – X-rays from Chandra are gold; infrared from WISE in red, green and blue/max (Credit : By NASA/CXC/SAO (X-Ray); NASA/JPL-Caltech (Infrared))

Confirmed: Stars Can Orbit Inside Each Other—And This One Did

May 28, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Credit: NGC 1754. Credit: HST.

NGC 1754: Hubble Reveals Secrets of One of the Universe’s Oldest Star Clusters

May 27, 2025
An artist's illustration of the planet K2-18b, one of the prime suspects to host life beyond this solar system.

Hope or Hype? The Truth About Life Signals on Distant Planet K2-18b

May 26, 2025
Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies emit radiation and ultra-fast winds into space. Here is an artist's visualization. Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech

Black Hole Winds May Be Firing the Universe’s Most Powerful Particles

May 24, 2025
March Solar X-flare from IRIS and SDO

The Next Solar Superstorm Could Be Days Away—Are We Ready to Respond?

May 22, 2025
Artist's conception of a "Hot Jupiter", like Puli. Credit - ESO/L. Calçada.

The Planet That Hides in Time: How Astronomers Caught a Cosmic Phantom

May 21, 2025
An illustration of Jupiter with magnetic field lines emitting from its poles. Credit: Credit: K. Batygin

Scientists Just Found Evidence of a Supercharged Jupiter You’ve Never Met

May 20, 2025
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a cloudscape in the Large Magellanic Cloud., a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Murray

NASA Just Photographed a Galaxy That Looks Like Cotton Candy—and It’s Real

May 19, 2025
DESI has made the largest 3D map of our universe to date. Earth is at the center of this thin slice of the full map. Credit: Claire Lamman/DESI collaboration

Is the Universe Expanding Weirdly Because Dark Matter Is Evolving?

May 19, 2025
ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took this picture of aurora borealis from the ISS on Dec. 9, 2014

Auroras on Mars? Yes, and Astronauts Might See Them Too

May 18, 2025
This illustration depicts a conceptual Lunar Crater Radio Telescope on the Moon’s far side. The early-stage concept is being studied under grant funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program but is not a NASA mission. Credit: Vladimir Vustyansky

Dark Ages Explorer: How Europe Plans to Illuminate the Universe’s Oldest Secrets

May 17, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
NASA Space News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • ABOUT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Contact Us
NASA Space News
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Astronomy

When Stars Shed Their Skins: The Strange Case of SN 2014C

by nasaspacenews
February 10, 2025
in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Galaxies, stars
0
Supernova SN 2014C (Optical and X-Ray) This image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (insets) shows spiral galaxy NGC 7331, center, where astronomers observed the unusual supernova SN 2014C. Credit: X-ray images: NASA/CXC/CIERA/R.Margutti et al; Optical image: SDSS

Credit: X-ray images: NASA/CXC/CIERA/R.Margutti et al; Optical image: SDSS

ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Supernovae are among the most spectacular and powerful events in the universe. These colossal explosions mark the dramatic death of massive stars, often leaving behind dense remnants like neutron stars or black holes. However, some supernovae defy expectations, and one such case has baffled scientists for years—SN 2014C.


The Unexpected Evolution of SN 2014C

When SN 2014C was first observed in 2014, it was classified as a Type Ib supernova, meaning it showed no signs of hydrogen in its spectrum. Type Ib supernovae are thought to originate from massive stars that have lost their hydrogen envelopes, often through interactions with a companion star in a binary system. But something strange happened with SN 2014C—over the next few months, its spectrum evolved dramatically. Hydrogen lines appeared, and its behavior aligned more closely with Type IIn supernovae, which are known for strong interactions with a dense hydrogen-rich environment.

Astronomers soon realized that this supernova had ejected its hydrogen shell long before exploding but then slammed into this material post-explosion.


What Makes SN 2014C So Special?

A Supernova With a Hidden Past

SN 2014C’s transformation is a clue to its unusual progenitor star. Normally, Type Ib supernovae come from Wolf-Rayet stars, which have shed their hydrogen layers through stellar winds or interactions with a companion. However, the presence of a thick hydrogen-rich circumstellar medium (CSM) suggests that the progenitor of SN 2014C underwent significant mass loss just before the explosion, creating a dense shell of hydrogen around it. This is unusual because it implies that the progenitor was still shedding its outer layers even in its final moments.

The Collision That Revealed the Truth

The key to SN 2014C’s transformation was its violent collision with its own ejected material. When the supernova’s ejecta expanded outward, it eventually reached the dense CSM, leading to a secondary shock wave. This interaction not only caused the unexpected hydrogen-rich spectrum but also prolonged the supernova’s brightness longer than expected. The light curve variations seen in SN 2014C are a direct consequence of this prolonged shock interaction.


How Scientists Uncovered SN 2014C’s Secrets

To understand this unique event, researchers relied on data collected from a range of telescopes, including the Lijiang 2.4-meter telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and radio and infrared observatories. Each wavelength provided different insights:

ADVERTISEMENT
  • Optical and ultraviolet observations tracked changes in its spectral signature.
  • Radio and X-ray data confirmed ongoing interactions between the expanding ejecta and the dense surrounding hydrogen.
  • Infrared imaging suggested the presence of dust, which formed as the shock wave cooled.

These observations helped scientists reconstruct the final years of the progenitor star, revealing that it likely lost its hydrogen shell within the last few hundred years before its explosion.

The Role of Hydrodynamic Models

Scientists also used computational models to simulate how the supernova ejecta interacted with the CSM. These models incorporated radioactive decay energy and delayed CSM interaction, successfully reproducing the light curve variations observed in SN 2014C.


Implications for Stellar Evolution

SN 2014C challenges the traditional classifications of supernovae. It suggests that some stars may undergo rapid and significant mass loss just before exploding, rather than gradually shedding their outer layers over millions of years. This means we may need new categories to describe supernovae that exhibit hybrid properties.

One possibility is that SN 2014C’s progenitor was part of a binary system, where a companion star stripped away its hydrogen envelope. However, the presence of a thick, structured CSM indicates a more chaotic and episodic mass loss, potentially due to sudden outbursts or an unstable stellar wind phase.


Why This Discovery Matters

SN 2014C is not just an anomaly—it is a critical piece in the puzzle of how stars die. Studying its evolution provides direct evidence that some massive stars experience a turbulent and unpredictable final phase, which influences the nature of their explosions.

This discovery also affects our understanding of:

  • Galactic chemical enrichment: Supernovae play a role in seeding galaxies with heavy elements.
  • Black hole formation: Understanding supernova mechanisms helps refine models of how stars collapse into neutron stars or black holes.
  • Future transient astronomy: SN 2014C highlights the importance of long-term supernova monitoring, as some events change over time rather than fitting neatly into predefined categories.

What’s Next?

To fully understand SN 2014C, astronomers need to find more examples of similar supernovae. Future missions, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will help detect and analyze more “chameleon” supernovae in different galaxies.

Advanced hydrodynamic and radiation transfer simulations will help refine our models of how supernovae interact with their environments. These simulations will provide better predictions for the diversity of supernova light curves and spectral changes.


Conclusion: A Supernova That Changed the Rules

SN 2014C is a rare, shape-shifting supernova that defied classification, revealing new insights into the life and death of massive stars. Its ability to transform over time has expanded our understanding of stellar evolution and the complex interactions between dying stars and their surrounding environments.

Reference:

Qian Zhai et al, SN 2014C: A Metamorphic Supernova Exploded in the Intricate and Hydrogen-rich Surroundings, The Astrophysical Journal (2025). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad9c76

Tags: astrophysicsbinary star systemsblack hole formationchameleon supernovacircumstellar mediumcosmic explosionHubble observationshydrogen-rich supernovajwstmass loss in starsradio wavesRubin Observatoryshock wave physicsSN 2014Cspace discoveryspace researchstellar deathstellar evolutionsupernovatransient universe

FEATURED POST

This concept shows an Earth-like world with clouds and liquid surface water orbiting a red dwarf star. Credit: Lynette Cook

New Research Reveals Clouds Can Amplify Signs of Life on Exoplanets

May 29, 2025
PSR B1509−58 – X-rays from Chandra are gold; infrared from WISE in red, green and blue/max (Credit : By NASA/CXC/SAO (X-Ray); NASA/JPL-Caltech (Infrared))

Confirmed: Stars Can Orbit Inside Each Other—And This One Did

May 28, 2025
Credit: NGC 1754. Credit: HST.

NGC 1754: Hubble Reveals Secrets of One of the Universe’s Oldest Star Clusters

May 27, 2025
An artist's illustration of the planet K2-18b, one of the prime suspects to host life beyond this solar system.

Hope or Hype? The Truth About Life Signals on Distant Planet K2-18b

May 26, 2025

EDITOR PICK'S

New Research Reveals Clouds Can Amplify Signs of Life on Exoplanets

May 29, 2025

Confirmed: Stars Can Orbit Inside Each Other—And This One Did

May 28, 2025

NGC 1754: Hubble Reveals Secrets of One of the Universe’s Oldest Star Clusters

May 27, 2025

Hope or Hype? The Truth About Life Signals on Distant Planet K2-18b

May 26, 2025

Black Hole Winds May Be Firing the Universe’s Most Powerful Particles

May 24, 2025

The Next Solar Superstorm Could Be Days Away—Are We Ready to Respond?

May 22, 2025

The Planet That Hides in Time: How Astronomers Caught a Cosmic Phantom

May 21, 2025

STAY CONNECTED

Recent News

This concept shows an Earth-like world with clouds and liquid surface water orbiting a red dwarf star. Credit: Lynette Cook

New Research Reveals Clouds Can Amplify Signs of Life on Exoplanets

May 29, 2025
PSR B1509−58 – X-rays from Chandra are gold; infrared from WISE in red, green and blue/max (Credit : By NASA/CXC/SAO (X-Ray); NASA/JPL-Caltech (Infrared))

Confirmed: Stars Can Orbit Inside Each Other—And This One Did

May 28, 2025

Category

  • Asteroid
  • Astrobiology
  • Astrology
  • Astronomy
  • Astrophotography
  • Astrophysics
  • Auroras
  • Black holes
  • Comets
  • Cosmology
  • Dark energy
  • Dark Matter
  • Earth
  • Euclid
  • Exoplanets
  • Galaxies
  • Jupiter
  • JWST
  • Mars
  • Mercury
  • Meteor showers
  • Moon
  • Neptune
  • News
  • Others
  • Planets
  • QuantumPhysics
  • quasars
  • Rocks
  • Saturn
  • solar storm
  • Solar System
  • stars
  • sun
  • Universe
  • Uranus
  • Venus
  • Voyager

We bring you the latest news and updates in space exploration, innovation, and astronomy.

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • PRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 NASA Space News

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • ABOUT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Contact Us

© 2025 NASA Space News

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist