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RCW 86
DECam Images RCW 86, Remains of Supernova Witnessed in 185
The tattered shell of the first-ever recorded supernova was captured by the US Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, which is mounted on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF...
TGU H1674
Dark Nebula TGU H1674
This is the dark nebula TGU H1674. Dark nebulae – or absorption nebulae – are clouds of gas and dust that are so dense they obscure and block visible light, making them appear inky black against the starry background. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3...
PNG 262.4-01.9
Planetary Nebula PNG 262.4-01.9
This is the planetary nebula PNG 262.4-01.9. A planetary nebula is a region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department...
CI Ferrero 54
Globular Star Cluster CI Ferrero 54
This is the globular star cluster CI Ferrero 54. A globular cluster is a spheroidal conglomeration of stars that is bound together by gravity, with a higher concentration of stars towards their centers. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela...
[FSR2007] 1410
Open Star Cluster [FSR2007] 1410
This is the open star cluster [FSR2007] 1410. An open star cluster is a loosely bound group of a few tens to a few hundred stars. They are found in spiral and irregular galaxies. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image,...
Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Background Galaxy Found in Image of Vela Supernova Remnant
This image shows a distant, twinkling spiral galaxy — one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the US National Science Foundation's Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter...
Pup A
Supernova Remnant Puppis A
Puppis A (Pup A) is a supernova remnant about 100 light-years in diameter and roughly 6500–7000 light-years away. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy...
Barnard 175
vdB 152, Barnard 175
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Also known as Barnard 175, vdB 152 is a reflection nebula atop of a dark Bok globule. Embedded in the top right side of the nebula is the Herbig Haro object...
Bubble Nebula
The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635)
The Bubble Nebula (NGC7635) is one of three shells of gas surrounding the massive star BD+602522, the bright star near the center of the bubble. Energetic radiation from the star ionizes the shell, causing it to glow. About six light-years in diameter, the Bubble Nebula is located in the...
NGC 6960
The Veil Nebula, NGC 6960
This image of the Veil Nebula was taken with the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) is part of a supernova remnant known as the Cygnus Loop. It is the shattered remains of one, and possibly two, supernovae that exploded...
Cygnus Loop
NGC 6992 (Cygnus Loop)
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. NGC 6992 is part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. The Cynus Loop is the remains of a star that...
Pickering's Triangle
Double-Wide Image of Pickering's Triangle
A new wide-field image of Pickering's Triangle taken with the National Science Foundation's Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory is being released today in Austin, Texas, at the 211th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Pickering's Triangle is part of the Cygnus...
Veil Nebula
Veil Nebula (partial)
The Veil nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, is an enormous region of diffuse gas emission, covering several degrees on the sky. Although this image is over a degree across (more than 40 light-years), using the full wide-field capability of the Schmidt telescope, it still shows only the...
Crab Nebula
M1, NGC 1952, Crab Nebula
This is a color composite formed from two images of the well-known Crab Nebula, taken on the night of October 27th 1995 with the NOAO/STIS/Tektronix 2048x2048 CCD detector on the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope. At the focal plane of the WIYN, this detector has a sampling scale of 0.2 arc seconds per...
G70.5+1.9
Supernova Remnant, G70.5+1.9
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. G70.5+1.9 is located near the edge of the giant HII emission nebula Sharpless 100 (Sh2-100). It is likely a supernova remnant, the leftovers of a star that...
Cygnus Loop
Veil Filaments (Cygnus Loop)
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. It shows faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. These filaments...
Crab Nebula
M1, NGC 1952, Crab Nebula
The famous Crab Nebula, Messier object 1 and NGC1952. This image of the well-known Crab Nebula was taken using Ektachrome film at the prime focus of the Kitt Peak 4-meter telescope on October 1st 1973. This is unusual because most astronomical pictures are coloured by combining three different...
Crab Nebula
M1, NGC 1952, Crab Nebula
This is an enhanced color composite formed from two images of the well-known Crab Nebula, taken on the night of October 27th 1995 with the NOAO/STIS/Tektronix 2048x2048 CCD detector on the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope. At the focal plane of the WIYN, this detector has a sampling scale of 0.2 arc...
Cygnus Loop
Panoramic Loop in Cygnus
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. It shows faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. The Cygnus Loop is a giant supernova remnant. It is the remains of a star that...
NGC 6960
Veil Nebula (partial)
The Veil nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, is an enormous region of diffuse gas emission, covering several degrees on the sky. Although this image is over a degree across (more than 40 light-years), using the full wide-field capability of the Schmidt telescope, it still shows only the...
IC 443
IC 443 Widefield
This supernova remnant is about 5000 years from Earth in the constellation Gemini. Can you see why it is sometimes called the Jellyfish Nebula? This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
RCW 86
Dynastic Vibes
The SMARTS 0.9-meter Telescope at Cerro-Tololo International Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, has captured an echo of the past in this gorgeous Image of the Week. RCW 86 is a literal shell of its former self, the gaseous remnant of a supernova. Some 11,000 years ago a white dwarf,...
M1
A legendary nebula
The nebula that keeps on giving, Messier 1 (Crab Nebula) is captured here by the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope from Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. The storied history of this supernova remnant in modern astronomy begins when it was recorded in 1731 by...
Cygnus Loop
IC 1340, part of supernova remnant Cygnus Loop
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. IC 1340 is part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. Astronomers estimate the supernova...
DEM L316
Supernova Remnant DEM L316
The Gemini South Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) recently captured a dramatic image of a vast cloud complex named DEM L316 located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The peanut-shaped nebula appears to be a single object, but the latest research indicates that it is really comprised of two...
SNR 0509-67.5
Distribution of calcium around the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5
This image shows the distribution of calcium in the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. The data were captured with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The overlaid curves outline two concentric shells of calcium that were ejected in two...
SNR 0509-67.5
VLT image of a double-detonation supernova
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago in a double-detonation – the first photographic evidence that stars can die with two blasts. The data were captured...
1E 0102.2-7219
MUSE view of the surroundings of a hidden neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud
This new picture from the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile shows how an elusive missing object was found amid a complex tangle of gaseous filaments in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud. The wisps of gas forming the supernova remnant 1E...
1E 0102.2-7219
An isolated neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud
This new picture created from images from telescopes on the ground and in space tells the story of the hunt for an elusive missing object hidden amid a complex tangle of gaseous filaments in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud. The reddish background image comes...
Crab Nebula
The central area of the Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula, one of the most famous objects in the northern sky, was observed rather low above the La Silla horizon (altitude) with the NTT. Despite this adverse condition, the picture shows in great detail the complex structure. The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a supernova which exploded...
SNR 0454-67.2
Tangled — cosmic edition
This dark, tangled web is an object named SNR 0454-67.2. It formed in a very violent fashion — it is a supernova remnant, created after a massive star ended its life in a cataclysmic explosion and threw its constituent material out into surrounding space. This created the messy formation we see...
NGC 2736
Supernova Shock Wave Paints Cosmic Portrait
Remnants from a star that exploded thousands of years ago created a celestial abstract portrait, as captured in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the Pencil Nebula. Officially known as NGC 2736, the Pencil Nebula is part of the huge Vela supernova remnant, located in the southern...
Cassiopeia A
Fireworks in the Sky
Glowing gaseous streamers of red, white, and blue - as well as green and pink - illuminate the heavens like Fourth of July fireworks. The colorful streamers that float across the sky in this photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope were created by the universe's biggest firecracker,...
DEM L71
Stellar shrapnel
Several thousand years ago, a star some 160 000 light-years away from us exploded, scattering stellar shrapnel across the sky. The aftermath of this energetic detonation is shown here in this striking image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3. The exploding star was a...
Kepler's SN
NASA's Great Observatories Provide a Detailed View of Kepler's Supernova Remnant
NASA's three Great Observatories - the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory - joined forces to probe the expanding remains of a supernova, called Kepler's supernova remnant, first seen 400 years ago by sky watchers, including famous astronomer...
IRAS 05240-6948
Oxygen-Rich Supernova
This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of the tattered debris of a star that exploded 3, 000 years ago as a supernova. This supernova remnant, called N132D, lies 169, 000 light-years away in the satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud.
DEM L 243
Chandra 3-Color X-ray Image of N 63A
Chandra's image of N63A shows material heated to about ten million degrees Celsius by a shock wave generated by the supernova explosion. The fluffy crescent-shaped X-ray features that appear around the edge of the remnant are thought to be fragments of high-speed matter shot out from the star...
DEM L 243
N 63A: Chandra and Hubble
Chandra has imaged the glowing shell created by the destruction of a massive star. X-rays from Chandra (blue), combined with optical (green) and radio (red) data, reveal new details in the supernova remnant, LMC N 63A. The X-ray glow is from material heated to about ten million degrees Celsius...
DEM L 243
N 63A: Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer has imaged the supernova remnant, N 63A, at infrared wavelengths. Using the IRAC detector, the image shows infrared emission at 3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), 8.0 (red) microns.
SN 1006
Hubble sees stars and a stripe in celestial fireworks
A delicate ribbon of gas floats eerily in our galaxy. A contrail from an alien spaceship A jet from a black hole? Actually this image, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1,000 years...
1E 0102.2-7219
Wide-Field View of the Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2-7219
Pictured here is the region of sky around the supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219. Researchers have studied the Hubble archive looking for visible-light images of the supernova remnant and they have analysed the data to calculate a more accurate estimate of the age and centre of the supernova blast.
Veil Nebula
Lifting the veil
In this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week, Hubble has once again lifted the veil on a famous — and frequently photographed — supernova remnant: the Veil Nebula. This nebula is the remnant of a star roughly 20 times as massive as the Sun that exploded about 10 000 years ago....
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A Light Echoes (NIRCam Images)
These shimmering cosmic curtains show interstellar gas and dust that has been heated by the flashbulb explosion of a long-ago supernova. The gas then glows infrared light in what is known as a thermal light echo. As the supernova illumination travels through space at the speed of light, the...
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A Light Echoes (Spitzer Context)
This background image of the region around supernova remnant Cassiopeia A was released by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in 2008. By taking multiple images of this region over three years with Spitzer, researchers were able to examine a number of light echoes. Now, NASA’s James Webb Space...
Sagittarius A*
First Look at Milky Way's Monster in High-Energy X-ray Light
This is the first, focused high-energy X-ray view of the area surrounding the supermassive black hole, called Sagittarius A*, at the center of our galaxy. The image was taken by NASA's black-hole hunter, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Different X-ray energies have been...
Cassiopea A
Sizzling X-ray Remains of a Dead Star
This new view of the historical supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located 11,000 light-years away, was taken by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Blue indicates the highest energy X-ray light, where NuSTAR has made the first resolved image ever of this source.
Cassiopea A
Sizzling Remains of a Dead Star
This new view of the historical supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located 11,000 light-years away, was taken by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Blue indicates the highest energy X-ray light, where NuSTAR has made the first resolved image ever of this source.
Sagittarius A*
Pointing X-ray Eyes at our Resident Supermassive Black Hole
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has captured these first, focused views of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy in high-energy X-ray light. The background image, taken in infrared light, shows the location of our Milky Way's humongous black hole, called...
Cassiopeia A
NuSTAR Data Point to Sloshing Supernovas
Two popular models describing how massive stars explode are shown in the top two panels. Each model calls for a different explosive trigger: either jets (left) or a sloshing effect referred to as mild asymmetries. NuSTAR is allowing researchers to test these models with actual data for the first...
Cassiopeia A
The Case of Missing Iron in Cassiopeia A
When astronomers first looked at images of a supernova remnant called Cassiopeia A, captured by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, they were shocked. The pattern of radioactive titanium observed by NuSTAR (right) does not match the pattern of heated iron seen by NASA's...
SN 1987A
Hubble revisits an old friend
Supernova SN 1987A and its surroundings are seen in great detail in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
Cassiopeia A
Evolution of a Supernova
These illustrations show the progression of a supernova blast. A massive star (left), which has created elements as heavy as iron in its interior, blows up in a tremendous explosion (middle), scattering its outer layers in a structure called a supernova remnant (right). The supernova explosion...
Crab Nebula
Centre of the Crab Nebula
This is the central region of the Crab Nebula, the famous supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus (The Bull). It was obtained early in the night of "First Light" with the third 8.2-m VLT Unit Telescope, MELIPAL. It is a composite of several 30-sec exposures with the VLT Test Camera in...
Crab Nebula
Centre of the Crab Nebula in Taurus
This image is an enlargement of a three colour composite of the well-known Crab Nebula (also known as "Messier 1"), as observed with the FORS2 instrument in imaging mode in the morning of November 10, 1999. It is the remnant of a supernova explosion at a distance of about 6,000 light-years,...
Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula in Taurus
This photo shows a three colour composite of the well-known Crab Nebula (also known as Messier 1), as observed with the FORS2 instrument in imaging mode in the morning of November 10, 1999. It is the remnant of a supernova explosion at a distance of about 6,000 light-years, observed almost...
SN 1987A
The birth of a Supernova remnant
This image displays a "spectral image" of SN1987A, the supernova that exploded 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was obtained using the medium resolution spectroscopic mode of ISAAC with a 2 arcsec wide slit and the grating centred close to the HeI emission line at 1.083 µm (1083 nm). The...
Large Magellanic Cloud
Stellar cluster NGC 1850 in the LMC
Colour a composite of three individual exposures, taken with FORS1 at the VLT UT1 on 3 February 1999. They were obtained through B (blue), V (green), and H-alpha (red) filters, and each of them was bias-subtracted and flat-fielded before combination. The field-of-view is 6.8 x 6.8 arcmin 2,...
Crab Nebula
Pulsar in the Crab Nebula
The Crab Pulsar is located near the centre of the Crab Nebula, i.e. the remnant of the supernova that exploded in AD 1054 in the constellation of Taurus. On this photo, the pulsar is seen as a 16th magnitude object; it is the lower right of the two stars of about equal brightness, near the...
SS-433
Weighed and found too light
SS-433 Supernova Remnant
DEM L 299
SNR B0544-6910 in the LMC
Young supernova remnant, B0544-6910 located in the South-East of the ringshaped nebula DEM L 299 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The sky field measures 3.7 x 3.6 arcmin. North is up and East is left.
DEM L 299
SNR 0543-689 in the LMC
This is a bright, compact nebula that is located on the North-Western rim of the ringshaped nebula DEM L 299. It is known as SNR 0543-689 and it is the remnant of a more recent supernova explosion. The sky field measures 3.6 x 3.5 arcmin. North is up and East is left.
Crab Nebula
CONCERTO show starts with new view of the Crab Nebula
This image of the Crab Nebula (also known as Messier 1) in the constellation of Taurus is an overlay of one of the first-light images taken by the CONCERTO instrument on the APEX telescope, operated by ESO, with an image taken by the FORS 2 instrument on ESO’s VLT. CONCERTO’s data is the white...
Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula as seen by CONCERTO
This image of the Crab Nebula (also known as Messier 1) in the constellation of Taurus is one of the first-light images taken by the CONCERTO instrument on APEX telescope, operated by ESO. It is the remnant of a supernova explosion at a distance of about 6,000 light-years, observed almost 1,000...
Crab Nebula
Investigating the Origins of the Crab Nebula With NASA’s Webb
New data revises our view of this unusual supernova explosion.
Vela Supernova Remnant
This is all that’s left of a giant star
Around 11 000 years ago a massive star ended its life in a powerful explosion, known as a supernova. During explosions like this, shock waves ripple out through the surrounding gas, compressing it into intricate thread-like structures. The energy that’s released during a supernova then heats...
Tycho's Supernova Remnant
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Historic Tycho Supernova
This image provides a new look at the Tycho supernova remnant, named for Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe who noticed the bright glow of this new "star" in the constellation Cassiopeia more than 450 years ago.
Cassiopeia A
Dusty Celestial Ornaments Dusty Celestial Ornaments: Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
These beautiful bulbs might look like they belong on Christmas trees, but they are actually different Spitzer Space Telescope views of the blown-out remains of a stellar explosion, or supernova. Cassiopeia A is a remnant of such a titanic explosion.
SN 1987a
Supernova 1987a (NIRCam, MIRI and NIRSpec Image)
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the best evidence yet for emission from a neutron star at the site of a well-known and recently-observed supernova known as SN 1987A. At left is a NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image released in 2023. The image at top right shows light from singly...
Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS 2)
Wide-field view of the sky around the Pencil Nebula
This image of the region of sky around the Pencil Nebula shows a spectacular celestial landscape featuring the blue filaments of the Vela supernova remnant, the red glow of clouds of hydrogen and countless stars. It is a colour composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
RCW 86
DSS image
A wide-field image of the area of the sky where the mystery of the Milky Way’s super-efficient particle accelerators was solved by studying the ancient RCW 86 supernova remnant.
NGC 2060
Supernova remnant NGC 2060
Located in the direction of the constellation Dorado in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the resplendent object known as NGC 2060 is the aftermath of a supernova. These powerful explosions serve as the death knell for massive stars, blasting heated matter out into surrounding space at great speed.
IRAS 08544-4431
The rich celestial landscape around the aging double star IRAS 08544-4431
This colourful image shows the rich celestial landscape in the constellation of Vela (The Sails) around the aging double star IRAS 08544-4431, which appears as the moderately bright star at the exact centre of the picture. The image was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky...
Gum 15
Wide-field view of the Gum 15 star formation region
This relatively unknown wide-field view captures the spectacular celestial landscape around the central object Gum 15. Among many other objects the star cluster NGC 2671 is visible a little to the lower left of centre and at the lower right of the image some of the filaments forming part of the...
SN 1987A
Composite image of Supernova 1987A
This image shows the remnant of Supernova 1987A seen in light of very different wavelengths. ALMA data (in red) shows newly formed dust in the centre of the remnant. Hubble (in green) and Chandra (in blue) data show where the expanding shock wave is colliding with a ring of material around the...
SN 1006
Part of the supernova remnant SN 1006 seen with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
This image is a composite of hydrogen-light observations taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in February 2006 and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observations in blue, yellow-green, and near-infrared light taken in April 2008. The supernova remnant, visible only in the hydrogen-light...
SN 1006
The remnant of the supernova SN 1006 seen at many different wavelengths
This remarkable image was created from pictures taken by different telescopes in space and on the ground. It shows the thousand-year-old remnant of the brilliant SN 1006 supernova, as seen in radio (red), X-ray (blue) and visible light (yellow).
NGC 2736
The Pencil Nebula, a strangely shaped leftover from a vast explosion
The oddly shaped Pencil Nebula (NGC 2736) is pictured in this image from ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. This nebula is a small part of a huge remnant left over after a supernova explosion that took place about 11 000 years ago. The image was produced by the Wide Field Imager on the...
SN 1987A
Dawn of a new era for Supernova 1987A
Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest supernovae in more than 400 years. The stellar explosion, SN 1987A, blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months after its discovery on 23 February 1987. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s...
Crab Nebula
Wide view of the Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula, which also goes by the names Messier 1, NGC 1952 and Taurus A, is one of the best studied astronomical objects in the sky. It is the remnant of a supernova explosion which was observed by Chinese astronomers in 1054. The tangled filaments visible in this image are the remains...
Vela Supernova Remnant
The Vela supernova remnant imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope
This image shows a spectacular view of the orange and pink clouds that make up what remains after the explosive death of a massive star — the Vela supernova remnant. This detailed image consists of 554 million pixels, and is a combined mosaic image of observations taken with the...
1E 0102.2-7219
X-ray view of the surroundings of a hidden neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud
This archival image from the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory shows how an elusive missing object was found amid a complex tangle of gaseous filaments in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud. The supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 shows up dramatically, but when...
1E 0102.2-7219
Hubble view of the surroundings of a hidden neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud
This picture from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope sets the scene for the story of the hunt for an elusive missing object hidden amid a complex tangle of gaseous filaments in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud. The wisps of gas forming the supernova remnant...
Vela Supernova Remnant
A stellar graveyard in the sky
What’s left over after a massive star reaches the end of its life I hear you ask? Take a look for yourself. This Picture of the Week shows a small but very intricate portion of the Vela supernova remnant, the violent and yet beautiful aftermath of an explosive stellar death. This dramatic...
Vela Supernova Remnant
Giant cosmic networks
Sometimes dramatic events are needed to create something stunning. This beautiful structure of filaments and clouds in the southern constellation of Vela are all that remains of a massive star that died in a powerful explosion known as supernova. This is a small section of a larger image taken...
Vela Supernova Remnant
The aftermath of a massive star's death in Vela
A so-called Supernova Remnant (SNR) in the Vela constellation, captured by ESO's 1 m Schmidt Telescope at La Silla in Chile. The glowing gas ribbons seen here are part of a shock wave launched into the interstellar medium by a large star that exploded about 11,000 years ago. A "ghost" of the...
Vela Supernova Remnant
A giant ghostly bird
The Vela constellation is visible with the naked eye in the southern sky, but you might miss a lot of details hidden there, like those shown in this Picture of the Week. This is a small patch of the Vela supernova remnant, the intricate leftovers of the explosion of a massive star 11 000 years...
SN 1970G
A Supernova in Progress
A supernova in the galaxy M101, 22 million light years from Earth.
SNR 0519-69.0
Cosmic Fireworks
Four supernovas 160,000 light years from Earth Chandra's images show expanding shells of gas heated to millions of degrees by shock waves from supernova explosions. Moving in a clockwise direction from the upper left to the lower left, the approximate ages of the remnants are 600 years, 1,500...
Puppis A
Chandra Reveals Cloud Disrupted By Supernova Shock
A supernova remnant about 7,000 light years from Earth
SN1006
IXPE and Chandra Untangle Theories Surrounding Historic Supernova Remnant
Supernova 1006 was first seen in the sky on May 1, 1006 A.D. Today, scientists are learning even more about the spectacular stellar explosion documented in many parts of the world.
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A Close-ups (NIRCam Image)
This image of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, captured by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference. The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. The scale bar is labeled in light-years, which is...
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A Close-ups (NIRCam Image)
This image highlights several interesting features of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A as seen with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera): NIRCam’s exquisite resolution is able to detect tiny knots of gas, comprised of sulfur, oxygen, argon, and neon from the star itself. Some filaments of debris...
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A (NIRCam Image)
A new high-definition image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) unveils intricate details of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), and shows the expanding shell of material slamming into the gas shed by the star before it exploded. The most noticeable colors...
Crab Nebula
Hubble Space Telescope (visible) Image of the Crab Nebula
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6500 light-years from Earth, in optical wavelengths.
DEM L 190
Revisiting a Celestial Fireworks Display
Shreds of the luridly coloured supernova remnant DEM L 190 seem to billow across the screen in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The delicate sheets and intricate filaments are debris from the cataclysmic death of a massive star that once lived in the Large Magellanic Cloud,...
Crab Nebula
Crab Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has gazed at the Crab Nebula in the search for answers about the supernova remnant’s origins. Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) have revealed new details in infrared light. Similar to the Hubble optical wavelength image...
Cygnus Loop
Cygnus Loop
Though a doomed star exploded some 20,000 years ago, its tattered remnants continue racing into space at breakneck speeds – and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has caught the action. The nebula, called the Cygnus Loop, forms a bubble-like shape that is about 120 light-years in diameter. The...
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A (MIRI Compass Image)
Webb Reveals Never-Before-Seen Details in Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A (MIRI Image)
Webb Reveals Never-Before-Seen Details in Cassiopeia A
SNR
Supernova Remnant 1E 0102
Gaseous Relic of Titanic Explosion This Hubble Space Telescope portrait reveals the gaseous remains of an exploded massive star that erupted 1,700 years. The stellar corpse, a supernova remnant named 1E 0102.2-7219, met its demise in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Crab Nebula
Observatories Combine to Crack Open the Crab Nebula
Colorful New Portrait Shows Energetic Details Embedded in Supernova Remnant In the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than Venus. So bright in fact, it could be seen during the daytime for several months. Halfway around the...
Veil Nebula
Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago. Called the Veil Nebula, the debris is one of the best-known supernova remnants, deriving its name from its delicate, draped filamentary...
SNR 0509-67.5
Optical and X-ray Composite Image of SNR 0509-67.5
This image of supernova remnant 0509-67.5 was made by combining data from two of NASA's Great Observatories. Optical data of SNR 0509-67.5 and its accompanying star field, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, are composited with X-ray images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The result...
SNR 0509
Optical/X-ray Composite Image of Supernova Remnant 0509-67.5
Optical data of SNR 0509-67.5 and its accompanying star field, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, are composited with X-ray images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
SNR 0509
Hubble Supernova Bubble Resembles Holiday Ornament
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged a pristine bubble of shocked gas from the expanding blast wave from a supernova. Called SNR 0509-67.5, the bubble is the visible remnant of a powerful stellar explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small g
N132D (SNR J052501-693842)
Supernova Remnant LMC N132D
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the supernova remnant, LMC N132D, which is located 170,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Dorado.
SN 1006
SN 1006 Supernova Remnant (Hubble)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged a portion of SN 1006 (SNR 327.6+14.6) which is located 6,850 light-years away.
Cassipopeia A
Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A - December 2004
A new image taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope provides a detailed look at the tattered remains of a supernova explosion known as Cassiopeia A (Cas A). It is the youngest known remnant from a supernova explosion in the Milky Way. The new Hubble image shows the complex and intricate...
Cassipopeia A
Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A - March 2004
Image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) taken with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys in March 2004.
E0102
Supernova Remnant E0102 in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Reminiscent of a U.S. July 4 Independence Day celebration, here is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of a cosmic explosion that is quite similar to fireworks on Earth. In the nearby galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, a massive star has exploded as a supernova, and begun to dissipate its...
Crab Nebula
A Giant Hubble Mosaic of the Crab Nebula
This is a mosaic image, one of the largest ever taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of the Crab Nebula, a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers recorded this violent event nearly 1,000 years ago in 1054, as did, almost...
N 132D
NASA Great Space Observatories Glimpse Faint Afterglow of Nearby Stellar Explosion
Intricate wisps of glowing gas float amid a myriad of stars in this image created by combining data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory. The gas is a supernova remnant, cataloged as N132D, ejected from the explosion of a massive star that occurred some 3,000 years...
LMC N 63A
Supernova Remnant LMC N 63A in X-Ray, Optical and Radio Radiation
Chandra has imaged the glowing shell created by the destruction of a massive star. X-rays from Chandra (blue), combined with optical (green) and radio (red) data, reveal new details in the supernova remnant, LMC N 63A. The X-ray glow is from material heated to about ten million degrees Celsius...
