Super-Supernovae Spell Trouble for Dark Energy

In case one doesn't read the article and/or look at the links there, a link to Andy Howell's web page is the gateway to his ideas and articles.

Thanks, I also found Andy's site and I think he sees more of an opportunity to refine the SN1a data than "trouble".

I do not have access to the sensational New Scientist article, but I found other, probably better articles. From Andy Howell's own website (where he calls the New Scientist article "just weird").

Articles in: NBC/space.com (this one is the best description), the New York Times, Time magazine (The Exploding Monty Python Star!); the LA Times (has some of the facts wrong), New Scientist (this one is just weird), and finally the UCSB press release. Here's a Science podcast with Ben."

As I understand it, supernovae SN1a may be caused by different situations, but they still all have roughly the same brightness and time signatures during the actual explosion. They are probably still excellent distance markers.

Form the NBC/Space.com article, where Howell himself has reportedly thrown in some sensationalism(!):

Quote:

"It is a total surprise to find that thermonuclear supernovae, which all seem so similar, come from different kinds of stars," said study author Andy Howell at Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. "It is like discovering that some humans evolved from apelike ancestors, and others came from giraffes."

The new study also suggests that studying smaller star explosions called novas, which don't entirely destroy the star, might also shed light on Type 1a supernovas.

"We may be able to gain a better understanding of supernova 1a progenitor systems in general," Dilday said."

Does not say it all, but I think the message is clear.

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Regards

Jorrie

Thanks for your input. This is certainly not the first news article to have a bad title.