News Astronomy

The cosmic ‘Cow’ may be a strange supernova

The explosion must have taken place in a dense spot in space

cosmic Cow

HOLY COW  The cosmic oddity called the Cow may be a supernova that exploded in a dense environment. This image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey shows the Cow’s host galaxy 200 million light-years away. The Cow itself is a bright spot at about 4 o’clock in the galaxy’s disk.

R. Margutti/W. M. Keck Observatory

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

The cosmic oddity known as the Cow may have been a dying star that shed its skin like a snake before it exploded.