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stsci.edu
Cassiopeia A has been observed by astronomers since its discovery in 1948. Its close distance and brightness help telescopes like #NASAWebb see intricate details in the supernova remnant, informing astronomers about how its progenitor star exploded: https://bit.ly/4rGZQ1v
Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant. This is a circular-shaped cloud of gas and dust with complex structure. The inner shell is made of bright pink and orange filaments studded with clumps and knots that look like tiny pieces of shattered glass. Around the exterior of the inner shell, particularly at the upper right, there are curtains of wispy gas that look like campfire smoke. The white smoke-like material also appears to fill the cavity of the inner shell, featuring structures shaped like large bubbles. Around and within the nebula, there are various stars seen as points of blue and white light. Outside the nebula, there are also clumps of yellow dust, with a particularly large clump at the bottom right corner that appears to have very detailed striations. The background of space is black.
January 26, 2026 at 2:41 PM