Supernova

Science News Febnruary 17th (see http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id56425 ) … new X Ray findings appear to blow a hole in the leading model for the origin of stellar explosions – type 1a supernova events. Astronomers routinely use these very bright events to measure dark energy. The Nature article won’t change the interpretation of dark energy but a new understanding is required of supernovae. In the prevailing wisdom a white dwarf siphons or accretes matter from a companion star until the dwarf grows by critical mass to a point where it explodes. The crux is that the white dwarf should emit X Rays for millions of years prior to exploding