Not Enough Supernovas for Deep Time
A stunning image of a 1987 supernova remnant
raises questions about where all the others are
The James Webb Space Telescope team released a stunning image of Supernova 1987A, the nearest supernova since Johannes Kepler observed one in 1604. Astronomers have been monitoring the remnant over time to learn about the aftereffects of exploding stars (supernovas/supernovae).
Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova (NASA, 31 Aug 2023). The press release labels the parts of the remnant and offers some preliminary physical explanations of what is taking place in the expanding bubble since the star exploded in 1987 (Earth time). There was hope that the JWST would be able to see a predicted neutron star formed after the core of the star collapsed.
Despite the decades of study since the supernova’s initial discovery, there are several mysteries that remain, particularly surrounding the neutron star that should have been formed in the aftermath of the supernova explosion.
Iconic supernova captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (New Scientist, 31 Aug 2023). Astronomer Mikako Maatsura speculates that gas is blocking the light from the central neutron star. Reporter Chen Ly listens to him explain some of the other features in terms of current supernova theory.
It is surrounded by a crescent-like structure in red, a previously unseen feature of supernovae remnants. The crescent is probably an outer layer of gas ejecting from the supernova and it is likely to be made up of hydrogen, says Matsuura.
A dazzling ring of matter encircles the blue area and the crescent, arising from material ousted by the original star in the roughly 20,000 years leading up to the supernova explosion. The brightest spots depict the energetic collisions between the matter in the ring and the explosion’s resultant shockwaves.
Where Are All the Others?
Hundreds of supernova remnants remain hidden in our galaxy. These astronomers want to find them (Space.com, 4 Sept 2023). There’s a paucity of supernovas, reports Keith Cooper. About 300 to 400 supernova remnants (SNRs) are known, he says, but according to theory, “Less than half the predicted number of supernova remnants in our galaxy have been found.” Where are they? Some astronomers want to go on a hunt for them.
A new search for supernova remnants in our galaxy is underway. Scientists are with aiming to find hundreds of these star explosion remains scattered across the Milky Way by using radio observations captured with the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico and the MeerKAT array of radio telescopes in South Africa.
He mentions several of the known SNRs, claiming that their ages range from 130 years to 20,000 years. It should be remembered, however, that astronomers re-dated one SNR from 10,000 years down to 2,000 years (2006 Oct 1). The huge, distended SNR called the Veil Nebula, which “looks” really old, was also dated down from tens of thousands of years to 5,000 years in 2001 (see 29 Dec 2005, original story from 2001 reproduced at bottom).
As you look at the new JWST image of SN 1987A, remember that all of that structure and motion, spreading out nearly two light-years, took place in just a few decades, within the lifetime of everyone 35 years or older.
The shortage of SNRs comes from belief in Deep Time. Most of the visible ones are less than the Biblical age of creation. Perhaps more will be found in the VLA/MeerKAT search; we’ll have to wait and see. But will they look older? Dating SNRs is theory-laden; one has to model how quickly supernova material spreads out. Why are none of the visible ones provably older than the Biblical age of creation?
We can see supernovas in distant galaxies. Does that prove the universe is older than the Bible says? Not necessarily. For one thing, the one-way speed of light is not measurable (see 11 Jan 2021). No one can disprove that the speed of light is infinitely fast toward us, and 1/2 c away from us (see Veritasium program on this point). Another thing is that relativistic effects affect look-back times at great distances. Processes can appear slower than they actually were when God created the stars (Genesis 1:14-16).
Supernova remnants provide valuable observational evidence that models and worldviews must incorporate. There’s a difference, though, between an observation and the interpretation of the observation, as our 2001 story (below) illustrates.
Veil Nebula Grows A Lot Younger (Creation-Evolution Headlines, 02/16/2001)
The February 2001 issue of Sky & Telescope has a surprising admission: the Veil Nebula in Cygnus, a widely-dispersed supernova remnant, is much younger than previously believed. Comparing Hubble images with views taken in 1953, astronomers at Johns Hopkins estimate its new age at only 5000 years, much less than the tens of thousands earlier claimed.
There you have it: another old-age proof falls down under the scrutiny of improved observations. This one isn’t alone. From recent stories reported on this site, there is one on pulsars, another on comets, and another on giant Sequoia trees, and another on granite mountains, and another on the Grand Canyon, and another on Jupiter’s moon Io. Maybe there’s a pattern here.