How a Supernova May Have Fueled the Birth of Our Solar System

Scientists have figured out what may have sparked the supernova that seeded our solar system.

Clue: It involves a rare kind of star.

The solar system is about 4.6 billion years old. But scientists still don't know exactly how it formed. One of the biggest questions is what triggered the supernova that seeded our solar system. A new study suggests that a rare kind of star called a "Wolf-Rayet" star may have been the spark that ignited the supernova.

Wolf-Rayet stars are massive stars that are nearing the end of their lives. They are very hot and luminous, and they produce strong winds that can eject a lot of mass. This mass loss can eventually lead to a supernova.

The study's authors looked at data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. They found evidence of a Wolf-Rayet star near the location of the supernova that seeded our solar system. The authors believe that the Wolf-Rayet star may have ejected a large amount of mass, which then collapsed and formed a supernova.

The study's findings are still preliminary, but they provide new insights into how our solar system may have formed. If the authors are correct, then Wolf-Rayet stars may have played a key role in the formation of other solar systems as well.

The study's findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.