Best Supernova Remnant

SN 1987A is the remnant of a Type II supernova that occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, in February 1987. It is the closest observed supernova since the invention of the telescope, providing astronomers with an unprecedented opportunity to study the death of...

The Crab Pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus. It was formed in the core-collapse supernova whose appearance was recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054, and its regular radio pulses were identified in the twentieth century. The objec...

SN 1987A is a historic supernova remnant located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This event, observed on February 23, 1987, was notable for being the closest recorded supernova since 1604 and for producing the first detected neutrino burst from a stellar explosion. The expanding ring of gas and dust—...

NGC 6960 is a filamentary nebula in the constellation Cygnus, constituting the western arc of the larger Veil Nebula. It represents the visible remains of a supernova blast wave that exploded approximately 8,000 years ago. The nebula's filaments appear to cross the foreground star 52 Cygni, though t...

The Vela SNR is a expanding cloud of gas and plasma created by a supernova that occurred approximately 11,000 years ago in the constellation Vela. It’s notable for containing the rapidly rotating Vela pulsar and represents a well-studied example of a pulsar wind nebula. Astronomers study this remnan...

NGC 2736, commonly known as the Pencil Nebula, is a narrow shock front in the Vela supernova remnant. Discovered by John Herschel in 1835, this filamentary structure is approximately 5 light-years long and located about 815 light-years from Earth. The nebula represents a section of the expanding gas...

Pickering's Triangle, designated as NGC 6979, is a portion of the Cygnus Loop, a large supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. The filamentary structure was discovered photographically in 1904 by astronomer Williamina Fleming at the Harvard College Observatory under the direction of Edward Ch...

The Eastern Veil Nebula, catalogued as NGC 6992 and NGC 6995, is a bright filamentary arc of ionized gas forming the eastern section of the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. The gas was heated by a supernova explosion estimated to have occurred roughly 8,000 years ago. It...

The Veil Nebula, formally NGC 6960 and NGC 6992, is a vast, filamentary structure within the constellation Cygnus. It represents the aftermath of a supernova event that occurred roughly 8,000 years ago. This ancient nebula’s intricate shapes are formed by expanding gas and dust ejected during the ex...

RCW 86 is a supernova remnant located in the southern constellation of Circinus. It is the remnant of SN 185, a stellar explosion recorded by Chinese astronomers in 185 AD, making it the earliest documented supernova in history. Modern astronomical studies have connected the expanding gas shell of R...

The Crab Nebula, designated M1, represents the spectacular aftermath of a supernova observed in 1054 AD. This expanding cloud of gas and dust originates from a star’s violent death, now centered around a rapidly rotating pulsar. The nebula's immense size and complex structure provide valuable insigh...

The Puppis-Vela Complex is a large region of overlapping and related emission in the southern sky that includes the Vela Supernova Remnant and the Puppis A remnant. The structures are studied at radio, optical, and X-ray wavelengths because their apparent boundaries overlap in projection. The Vela r...

SN 1006 is a supernova remnant located within the Lupus nebula of our Milky Way galaxy. It represents the expanding debris field from a Type Ia supernova event that occurred around 1006 CE. This was the most luminous stellar explosion ever observed and remains notable for its brightness, detectable...

IC 1340 is a luminous filamentary structure of ionized gas located in the northern constellation Cygnus. It constitutes the southernmost portion of the Veil Nebula, a large, diffuse supernova remnant resulting from a stellar explosion that occurred roughly 8,000 years ago. The glowing gas filaments...

NGC 6979 is a portion of the Veil Nebula, a large supernova remnant located in the constellation Cygnus. The Veil Nebula is the visible portion of the Cygnus Loop, which was created by the explosion of a massive star thousands of years ago. NGC 6979 appears as a filamentary structure of glowing gas,...

W50, also called the Manatee Nebula, is a large radio-bright supernova remnant in the constellation Aquila. The compact binary system SS 433, commonly described as a microquasar, lies within the remnant and produces powerful bipolar jets. Those jets interact with the surrounding remnant and contribu...

The Pencil Nebula, or NGC 2736, is a prominent filament within the Vela supernova remnant. This structure formed from the expanding debris of a star that exploded approximately 10,000 years ago. Its distinctive shape – resembling a pencil lead – makes it notable for astronomers studying shock waves...

Simeis 147 is a vast filamentary nebula located in the Taurus region of the Milky Way. It represents the expanding remains of a supernova explosion that occurred approximately 9,000 years ago. The remnant’s immense size – spanning roughly three degrees – makes it particularly notable for astronomers...

Sh2-240, also known as Simeis 147, is a large supernova remnant located within the Taurus constellation. It’s notable for its intricate filamentary structure and association with the “Spaghetti Nebula” nickname due to its resemblance to strands of pasta. This remnant originates from a star that expl...

RCW 86 is a shell-type supernova remnant in the southern sky, generally identified with the remains of SN 185, a transient recorded by Chinese astronomers in 185 CE. Observations show expanding, shock-heated gas and iron-rich material, with no confirmed neutron star or pulsar at its center. The obje...

LMC N49 is a supernova remnant within the Large Magellanic Cloud formed approximately 5,000 years ago. It’s notable for containing SGR 0525-66, a magnetar – an extremely powerful neutron star with intense magnetic fields. Astronomers and astrophysicists study this remnant to understand stellar death...

E0102, formally designated 1E 0102.2-7219, is a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. Estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old, it is the brightest X-ray source in its host galaxy and has been extensively studied by in...

1E 0102.2-7219 is an oxygen-rich supernova remnant located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It is one of the few known oxygen-rich remnants in a galaxy outside our own, making it valuable for studies of stellar nucleosynthesis and supernova physics. The expanding e...

NGC 2060 is a star-forming region within the Tarantula Nebula complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It contains N157B, a supernova remnant powered by an energetic pulsar and its surrounding pulsar-wind nebula. Astronomers study the region to examine massive-star...

N49 is a supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Its bright, filamentary shell emits strongly at optical, radio, and X-ray wavelengths as expanding debris interacts with surrounding gas. The remnant is also associated with SGR 0526-66, the soft gamma-ray...

The SN 1987A remnant is a glowing nebula formed by the explosion of a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This supernova event, occurring in 1987, created a vast cloud of expanding gas and dust—the most studied supernova remnant to date. It’s notable for its complex structure and provides valuable i...

E0102-72.3 is a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. It is the result of a massive star's core collapse that occurred roughly 2,000 years ago as observed from Earth. The remnant is scientifically significant because its ex...

IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula, is a galactic supernova remnant located in the constellation Gemini. The explosion that created the nebula is estimated to have occurred between 3,000 and 30,000 years ago, leaving behind a neutron star near its center. The remnant is notable for its inter...

N132D is an oxygen-rich supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It consists of expanding debris and shocked gas produced by a stellar explosion. Its oxygen-rich ejecta allow astronomers to compare supernova material with the surrounding interstellar medi...