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iPTF14hls, nicknamed a “zombie star,” has survived five separate supernova events, shining brightly for 600 days. Its brightness varied erratically, breaking what we thought we knew about supernovas. It may have also survived a previous explosion in 1954.
The final stage of a giant star’s life is a blaze of glory called a “supernova.” Typically, the massive implosion of the star’s core releases energy and spews material into the cosmos at high speed, burning brightly for up to 100 days before fading into oblivion. Then there’s iPTF14hls, a star survived five separate supernova events, according to astronomers. Nicknamed a “zombie star” for its ability to seemingly come back from the dead, iPTF14hls was first seen exploding in September 2014 and then again in 2015 – but it hasn’t faded, shining brightly for 600 days.
A star is reborn:
“This supernova breaks everything we thought we knew about how they work,” said Iair Arcavi, co-author of a study that appeared in a 2017 issue of the journal Nature.
The researchers found that the star’s brightness varied by up to 50%, brightening and dimming erratically, as if it were exploding over and over again.
Looking at archival data, the scientists discovered an explosion that occurred in 1954 at the same location, suggesting that the star may have also survived a previous supernova explosion.
