Neon Shimmers Illuminate Supernova

A newly formed dust factory gleams red in the heart of an exploded star, the Supernova 1987A, revealed by the ALMA telescope in a picture released January 6.

The closest observed stellar explosion since one described by Johannes Kepler in 1604, the supernova has captivated astronomers for decades.Surrounded by a green and blue necklace created by shock waves, the dust cloud contains silicon, oxygen, and other newly forged elements. European Southern Observatory astronomers estimate the dust cloud contains one quarter of the mass of our sun.—Dan Vergano

Photograph by ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/A. Angelich. Visible light image: the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. X-Ray image: The NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Best New Space Pictures: Fiery Supernova, Mars Chasm, More

The forges of the heavens and distant supernova stars gleam brightly in the skies, delighting astronomy fans with the week's best space pictures.

Published January 12, 2014

Best New Space Pictures: Fiery Supernova, Mars Chasm, More

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