‘Zombie star’ of supernova that exploded in 1181 revealed by study | CNN

A new study has for the first time described SN 1181 in detail by creating a computerized model of the supernova ’s evolution.

The research team compared the model with archival telescope observations of its nebula, the remnant of the monumental event.

It took astronomers 840 years to solve its first great riddle — pinpointing its location in the Milky Way.

SN 1181 contains no hydrogen or helium, which is highly unusual in space.

The study suggests that this inner shock region might be a sign that the star has started to burn again, centuries after the explosion.

High-speed stellar wind seems to have started blowing from the surface of the star just 20 to 30 years ago .

“The realization has been that Type Iax supernova constitute roughly 20% of the supernovae in any galaxy, including our own Milky Way , and they might form most of the mysterious dust in the early Universe,” Schaefer said in an email. In our lifetime, he added, astrophysicists will not get any better observed case for a Type Iax event, so researchers should push hard for understanding SN 1181 ..