March 28, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, as well as many other observatories have together delivered an image of a 800 year old Supernova. It’s a composite image of the supernova remnant SNR 1181. The object’s name gives us a clue as to when it became a supernova: the year 1181. For about half a year, the “new” star appeared in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It took a long time before astronomers, using modern telescopes, could find the remains of this supernova, but they finally did in the last decade. This image combines wavelengths of X-rays, optical, and infrared to bring … Continue reading Astronomers Unlock 800-Year-Old Supernova Secrets with a Composite Image of SNR 1181