New space images could unlock mysteries of exploding stars, astronomers claim

New James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images of a supernova’s keyhole could unlock mysteries of exploding stars, according to astronomers.

Images revealed previously unseen crescent-like structures in the SN 1987A supernova and its remnant 168,000 light years from Earth, thought to be part of the outer layers of gas from the supernova explosion - which gives researchers clues about how exploding stars develop over time.

Dr Mikako Matsuura, a Reader at Cardiff University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, said the images were a “big surprise.”

“[It] speaks to the telescope’s abilities to present well-studied structures in new and exciting ways.”