SVE NEWS & SPACE.COM Sharing Series — Condor Array Telescope confirms Chinese astrology records of ‘new star’ spotted in 77 BCE

The first data from the telescope array promises to expose astronomers to a hitherto unseen faint universe.

A view created by Condor and computer technologies of extremely faint shells of ionized gas surrounding the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis (Image credit: Condor Team)

he first data from a new telescope array is in.

The Condor Array has revealed a stunning look at a distant dwarf nova — a scene that offers astronomers a new, very-low-brightness view of the universe to marvel over.

Condor is comprised of six refracting telescopes, which are united by computers to form a giant telescope conglomerate that can detect and study objects too faint to be seen with a normal. single telescope. One of the first missions assigned to Condor was to focus on the dwarf nova named Z Camelopardalis. In particular, American Museum of Natural History researcher Michael M. Shara wanted to know if this dwarf nova has anything to do with a “new star” that Chinese Imperial astrologers recorded in the year 77 BCE.

Not only did the new telescope array strengthen this link, but it also discovered intriguing, never-seen-before features of the dwarf nova. Since it was first observed in visible light by astronomer Henry Park Hollis in 1904, the object has been studied in great detail. So, finding new information about it is pretty exciting.

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Shy novas coming out of their shells

Dwarf novas are a distinct class of supernova explosion that happens in one of two ways.

The first way has to do with a white dwarf stellar remnant gradually siphoning matter from a companion star to its own surface. Such siphoning goes on until the process triggers a thermonuclear blast. The second path that can lead to a dwarf nova, on the other hand, has to do with a huge amount of material from a companion star suddenly getting “dumped” on the white dwarf with the same thermonuclear result.

Sources from: SPACE.COM