"Rediscovering the 800-Year-Old Supernova: A Stunning New Image"

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has captured a composite image of SNR 1181, the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred 800 years ago, believed to be caused by the merger of two stars. The image shows a spherical nebula surrounded by stars, with a hot white dwarf star at its center. This rare explosion, likely a sub-luminous Type Iax event, has left behind a unique opportunity for studying such phenomena, and the composition of the remnant suggests it was formed in a thermonuclear explosion.