NASA · Space

The Ghosts of Five Supernovas

An image captured from Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco showcases the remnants of five independent supernova explosions in the constellation Auriga.

The image covers a vast area of the sky, equivalent to one thousand full moons. The visible supernova remnants are G181.1+9.5, G182.4+4.3, G179.0+2.6, G180.0−1.7 (Spaghetti Nebula), and G178.2−4.2.

Also highlighted are the open cluster M37 and the Tadpole Nebula. The remnants appear as expanding shells of shocked gas and delicate filaments, colored red for hydrogen and blue for oxygen.

These stellar explosions occurred at varying distances, up to several thousand light-years from Earth, and are estimated to be tens of thousands of years old. Early humans might have observed these events as bright, temporary stars.

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