organisation

University of Warwick

Public research university in England

Space · 18 Oct 2026Sharpest image yet of 850-year-old 'guest star' supernova reveals filaments made of tiny knots

Scientists have obtained the clearest images yet of Pa 30, the explosive aftermath of a supernova recorded by medieval astronomers nearly 850 years ago, and found that its firework-like filaments are not smooth streams but chains of tiny gas knots. The observations, led by the University of Warwick's Timothy Cunningham, were published in The Astrophysical Journal.