6 November 2023
Supernova wreckage in a hazy galaxy
© ESA
The Hubble Space Telescope snapped a new view of a hazy spiral galaxy that once hosted a supernova explosion. The galaxy, formally known as NGC 941, lies about 55 million light years from Earth. Its spiral arms are bright but not very well defined, swirling outwards from a bright core into a faint halo of dimmer gas. Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) observed the remnants of a stellar explosion within the galaxy. When some stars reach the end of their lives, they explode in a brilliant burst called a supernova, which can briefly outshine the entire galaxy in which it sits. This particular supernova, known as SN 2005ad, has since faded, leaving behind seeds for future star formation.