How do radio telescopes detect supernova remnants through interstellar dust?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Radio telescopes are able to detect supernova remnants through interstellar dust because they observe at radio wavelengths, which can penetrate the obscuring clouds of dust that often hide these objects from optical view.12

The primary mechanism behind this detection is the emission of synchrotron radiation. This radiation is produced when high-energy electrons spiral at speeds near the speed of light within the magnetic fields present in the expanding gaseous debris of the remnant. Unlike visible light, which is scattered and absorbed by interstellar dust, these radio waves pass through the dust unimpeded, allowing astronomers to map and study remnants that would otherwise remain hidden.13452

By analyzing this nonthermal radio emission, researchers can identify and study supernova remnants throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, even when the original explosion was missed by historical observers due to dust obscuration.13