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Astronomers Successfully Predict Appearance of Supernova

schwit1 writes: For the first time ever astronomers have been able to predict and photograph the appearance of a supernova, its light focused by the gravitational lensing caused by a galaxy and the dark matter that surrounds it: "The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of the first-ever predicted supernova explosion. The reappearance of the Refsdal supernova was calculated from different models of the galaxy cluster whose immense gravity is warping the supernova's light." What makes this significant is that the prediction models were based on the theory of gravitational lensing and required the presence of dark matter to work. That they worked and were successful in predicting the appearance of this gravitationally bent light (bent by the dark matter it passed through) is a very strong confirmation of both concepts.

5 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Prediction of What? by pjt33 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "the first-ever predicted supernova explosion" certainly sounds that way. The subsequent mention of reappearance mainly serves to confuse.

  2. Dark Matter testable predictions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of the first-ever predicted supernova explosion. ... What makes this significant is that the prediction models were based on the theory of gravitational lensing and required the presence of dark matter to work.

    The important part here seems like confirmation of testable predictions made by Dark Matter theories. That's how science works: you have to make a falsifiable theory that makes testable predictions. Those predictions are then tested, to lend evidence toward or against the theories. This is key evidence in favor of Dark Matter.

  3. Re:Prediction of What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    RE-APPEARANCE, not the initial appearance. It's a misleading headline, and you're an asshole.

  4. Re:Prediction of What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Come on. You're being an insufferable pedant. Grow up.

  5. Re:Dark matter or MOND? by Khashishi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    MOND is largely discredited by the bullet cluster measurements.