What happens to a star at the end of its life? If it has a mass eight times that of our sun, THIS is a possibility! It can explode in one of the most powerful releases of energy in the universe: a supernova!

What you see here is the remnant of a supernova that occurred nearly 10,000 years ago. The gases blown off by the explosion have been traveling outward, interacting with interstellar media, such as other gases, dust, and whatever else is out there.

This whole supernova remnant is ENORMOUS from our location. This photo is only about half of the entire ring, which is commonly referred to as the “Cygnus Loop.” For reference about 8 full moons will fit across this image!