OUR ANCESTORS SAW IT EXPLODE IN 1181: Telescope Reveals the Most Detailed View Yet of a Medieval Supernova
In the year 1181, sky-watchers noticed a new star that shone for months before fading away. Nearly 850 years later, astronomers have captured the most detailed view ever of what it left behind: a glowing remnant called Pa 30, the leftovers of supernova SN 1181.
The new image comes from the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi, as reported by BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
A rare record from before telescopes
SN 1181 is one of only five supernova remnants in the Milky Way that were seen in the sky before the telescope was invented. That makes it a direct link between medieval observers and modern astronomy.
What the new image shows
- Ten times more structure in the remnant’s filaments than seen before.
- “Firework” filaments that turn out to be chains of tiny knots of gas streaming away from the blast.
- A central star with a temperature of about 200,000°C (360,000°F).
The observations were led by Timothy Cunningham of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and Ilaria Caiazzo of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
A star that stayed in the middle
Stars left after a supernova are often kicked away from the centre of the explosion. Pa 30’s central star sits almost exactly in the middle. That suggests the blast was nearly symmetrical, and points to a rare type of explosion called a Type Iax supernova. If confirmed, it would be the only known Type Iax remnant in our galaxy.
Why it matters
Type Iax supernovae are thought to be “failed” explosions that do not fully destroy their star. Having one on our cosmic doorstep, with a known date, gives scientists a rare chance to see how these events unfold.
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Source: BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 13 October 2026.
Featured image: Redrosedust wright f2000 by Image based on data obtained as part of the INT Photometric H-Alpha Survey of th, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.