Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

Weird supernova remnant blows scientists’ minds

Fireworks display from rare dying star is unlike anything astronomers have seen.
  1. Shannon Hall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

The supernova remnant Pa 30, which looks almost like a firework exploding in space.

Researchers imaged Pa 30’s fireworks display using an optical filter that is sensitive to sulfur. Credit: Robert Fesen (Dartmouth College)

When dying stars explode as supernovae, they usually eject a chaotic web of dust and gas. But a new image of a supernova’s remains looks completely different — as though its central star sparked a cosmic fireworks display. It is the most unusual remnant that researchers have ever found, and could point to a rare type of supernova that astronomers have long struggled to explain.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 614, 206 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00202-1

References

  1. Fesen, R. A., Schaefer, B. E. & Patchick, D. Preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04809 (2023).

  2. Gvaramadze, V. V. et al. Nature 569, 684–687 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ritter, A. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 918, L33 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. McCully, C. et al. Nature 512, 54–56 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

  • Faculty Position

    The Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology (ICOB), Academia Sinica, Taiwan, is seeking candidates to fill multiple tenure-track faculty position

    Taipei (TW)

    Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica

  • Postdoctoral Associate

    Houston, Texas (US)

    Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)

  • Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Energy

    Job Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Energy Location: New York, Jersey City, Philadelphia or London — Hybrid Working Application Deadline:...

    New York City, New York (US)

    Springer Nature Ltd

  • Open Rank Tenure-track/Tenured Faculty Positions in the Department of Genetic and Genomic Sciences

    Seeking expertise in areas including Cancer Genetics; Artificial Intelligence; Drug Development & Clinical Trials; Functional Genomics; & Gene Editing

    New York City, New York (US)

    Mount Sinai Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences

  • Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Robotics

    The Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT, www.mavt.ethz.ch) at ETH Zurich invites applications for the above-mentioned position.

    Zurich city

    ETH Zurich

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links