About twice each century, a star in our galaxy explodes in a supernova. Only a few of those explosions happen close enough to Earth to be visible with the naked eye. By comparing ancient observations with today’s spacecraft data on supernova remains, scientists hope to nail down when those stars exploded. Here’s a look at eight supernovas that caught earthlings’ attention throughout history.
RCW 86 (Credit: NASA)
NASA
G347.3-0.5 (Credit: NASA)
NASA
SN1006 (Credit: NASA)
NASA
Crab Nebula (Credit: NASA)
NASA
3C58 (Credit: NASA)
NASA
Tycho's Supernova Remnant (Credit: NASA)
NASA
Kepler's Supernova Remnant (Credit: NASA)
NASA
Cass A (Credit: NASA)
NASA
