Hubble investigates the gorgeous remnants of a supernova

Oct 2: Some of the most dramatic events in the universe are the deaths of massive stars. When stars far larger than our sun run out of fuel and explode in huge supernovas, these events not only let out huge blasts of energy but also change the environment around them. As the shockwave from the explosion travels outward millions of miles into space and slams into clouds dust and gas, it can create elaborate and beautiful structures called supernova remnants.

One of the most famous remnants is the Cygnus Loop, a bubble-shaped object which is around 120 light-years across. Hubble imaged the remnant in 2020, and now scientists are using this Hubble data to study how these remnants change over time.