Skip Navigation
menu close modal
Resources

Supernova (Green)

A large vertically-oriented oval shape with rounded waves around the edge, this graphic has a flower-like appearance. Smaller transparent circles with the same wavy edge are layered inward to create an inner starburst shape. The outer rings are a very light green color and they move inward into different light blue colors and finally to a center starburst shape that is a dark blue. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Credit: NASA
Published: December 19, 2022

A vertical oval illustration of a supernova. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.

ENLARGE

Explore the Universe

Related

An illustration showing a blue, front view of a barred spiral galaxy.
More
A background of medium, bright blue shows a bright, white, thin line that creates an oblong, elongated swirl that connects in the middle with a lighter blue, diffuse cloud. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Front View, Blue)
An illustration of a blue star-forming nebula.
More
A large, amorphous blob in a circular shape has layers of transparent, hazy color overlapping. The different layers are a range of transparent blues, some greener shades than others. While white dots representing stars speckle the whole image, in the upper left part of this shape is a bright white circular cloud with more pronounced and larger stars grouped together.
Star-forming Nebula (Version Two, Blue)
An illustration of a planetary nebula.An illustration of a planetary nebula. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.
More
A transparent, colorful hourglass shape has a central point that is a white circle surrounded by bright, light haze. Extending out from the center in opposite directions are plumes of color that form the hourglass shape. Each starts as blue near the central circle, then fades into a purplish pink color. The outline of the hourglass shape is wavy and white dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version Two, Pink)
An illustration of JAXA's Suzaku spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows the Suzaku spacecraft in shades of blue. The long body of the spacecraft is narrower at the top than at the bottom, which has a hollow area underneath. Solar panels extend to either side of the widest part of the body. Round circles representing the telescopes extend from the top of the narrowest part of the body.
Suzaku
An illustration showing a purple, front view of a barred spiral galaxy.
More
A background of medium, bright purple shows a bright, white, thin line that creates an oblong, elongated swirl that connects in the middle with a yellowish, diffuse cloud. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Front View, Purple)
An illustration showing the side of an irregular galaxy.
More
A very long, diffuse, vaguely oval-shaped blob has a hazy dark purple color around its edge and it gets progressively lighter moving inward toward a cloudy white center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Side View)
An illustration of an orange and yellow elliptical galaxy.
More
A diffuse oval is outlined by a light orange-ish yellow but gets progressively lighter in rings towards the center, a bright white spot surrounded by a small ring of white haze. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Elliptical Galaxy (Orange/Yellow)
An illustration of a blazar, or an active galactic nucleus that emits a powerful radiation jet. 
More
A graphic shows a diffused, dark purple ring that fades inward to a bright purple, a lighter purple, and eventually to a light blue gradient. At the center of the circular object is a small black circle from which a transparent beam is emitted, starting as a transparent blue and moving into green, yellow, orange and red.
Blazar
An illustration of a quasar.
More
A graphic shows a tilted disc in the center. A dark, diffuse purple ring lines its outer edge. The dark purple fades inward to a bright purple, light blue, and then lighter until it reaches the center where there is a black spot. From both the top and bottom of the disk's center, an icy light blue beam shoots out.
Quasar
An illustration of the EXCLAIM instrument.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting EXCLAIM. The instrument is made up of a hollow cylindrical object next to a rectangular object. The whole instrument sits within a framework that extends upwards to a point, where it will attach to a balloon.
EXCLAIM (Experiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping)
An illustration showing a blue, side view of a barred spiral galaxy.
More
An illustration has an elongated oval in light blue stretching across the center, outlined in a darker blue. Behind the strip is a diffuse, very light blue cloud that fades into a light blue and then a darker blue. All over the image are white speckles, representing stars.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Side View, Blue)
An illustration of the International Space Station.
More
This illustration shows the International Space Station in shades of blue. The space station has a thin middle body made up of different small modules. Extending out from the middle body of the station, each side is flanked by a "wing" made up of a series of long, rectangular solar array pieces.
International Space Station
An illustration of JAXA’s XRISM spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows NASA's XRISM spacecraft in shades of blue. A multi-sided cylindrical body has solar array "wings" on either side and a smaller, rounded cylindrical front with small pieces of the instrument at the very front.
XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission)
An illustration of NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope.
More
This illustration shows NASA's Kepler mission in shades of blue. The main body of the spacecraft is cylindrical in shape, with a slanted top and a base that attaches to a structure wrapping around half of the main body of the craft.
Kepler Space Telescope
An illustration of NASA's SuperTIGER instrument.
More
This illustration shows NASA's SuperTIGER instrument in shades of blue. This balloon-borne instrument has a main, box-shaped body on top of a structure that has panels attached to the bottom and a piece of the structure that extends outward on one side of the box-shaped instrument body.
SuperTIGER (Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder)
An illustration of a pink and purple star-forming nebula.
More
A large, amorphous blob in a subtle tear drop shape has layers of transparent, hazy color overlapping, starting with a small blue haze around the edge and moving inward to a dark purple, a redder purple, and then a brighter purple. While white dots representing stars speckle the whole image, in the center of this shape is a bright white oval cloud with more pronounced and larger stars grouped together.
Star-forming Nebula (Version One, Purple)
An illustration of a planetary nebula.
More
A subtly transparent, colorful hourglass shape has a central point that is a white circle surrounded by bright, white haze. Extending outward from the center in opposite directions are plums of color that form the hourglass shape. The central part of each plume starts as an icy, light blue and fades upward into a purple color and outward into red. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version Two, Purple)
An illustration of NASA's Fermi spacecraft.
More
Fermi is illustrated in multiple shades of blue. With two "wings" coming out of its sides, each with three panels of solar arrays, the main body of the spacecraft is box-shaped. It has a main body with one open side with small components visible within and a smaller, darker box on top.
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
An illustration of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
More
This illustration shows NASA's Roman mission in shades of blue. A multi-sided cylindrical body has an opening at its top. Exending from the opening are panels along the top half. A flat panel on the back represents the solar panel. Along the side of the body a few instruments are visible.
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
An illustration showing a face-on view of a black hole.
More
A graphic shows a dark but diffuse purple ring that is centered in the image. The dark purple fades into a bright purple, then a light blue that fades lighter towards the center where there is a bold, black circle.
Black Hole
An illustration of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
More
This illustration shows NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in shades of blue. Its base is made up of multiple different layers in an elongated shape. On top of the base sits the observatory's primary mirror which is a large hexagonal shape made up of smaller hexagons. Two rods at the base and one at the top protrude forward and all connect to a small disc, shaped object.
James Webb Space Telescope
An illustration showing an irregular galaxy.
More
An amorphous, diffuse purple blob that's darker around the rim with a light, whitish center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Version One)
 An illustration of ESA's Euclid spacecraft.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting Euclid. The spacecraft has a cylindrical body with an open top and a flat, square base as well as a flat panel along its back.
Euclid
An illustration of a planetary nebula.
More
In the background is a hazy blue circle, with dark, transparent blue around the edge and lighter/brighter blues leading inward. In front of the blue circle is a blueish-gray object, shaped like a minimal, twisty lemon. Inside of this shape is a central, light yellow, cloudy circle with a bright white spot in the middle. All within the lemon-shaped object, the white spot is surrounded by an oblong oval shape which is overlapped by two large circular shapes and two small circular shapes. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version One, Blue)
An illustration of NASA’s WMAP spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows NASA’s WMAP spacecraft in shades of blues. The bottom of the satellite is a round circle, like a ballerina’s tutu. Rising from the circle is a bulky, vaguely cylindrical shape topped by two circles facing opposite directions.
WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe)

Explore the Universe

Related News

A new collection of stunning images highlights data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes.
More
A Fab Five: New Images with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
A Fab Five: New Images with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A.
More
Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova
Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova
A powerful satellite called XRISM is set to provide astronomers with a revolutionary look at the X-ray sky.
More
JAXA, NASA XRISM Mission Ready for Liftoff
JAXA, NASA XRISM Mission Ready for Liftoff
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a pair of actively forming young stars, known as Herbig-Haro 46/47.
More
Webb Snaps Highly Detailed Infrared Image of Actively Forming Stars
Webb Snaps Highly Detailed Infrared Image of Actively Forming Stars
The irregular galaxy Arp 263 lurks in the background of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
More
Hubble Images a Starstruck Galaxy
Hubble Images a Starstruck Galaxy
A new satellite called XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) aims to pry apart high-energy light into the equivalent of an X-ray rainbow.
More
XRISM Mission To Study ‘Rainbow' of X-rays
XRISM Mission To Study ‘Rainbow' of X-rays
Observations of two Type II supernovae have revealed large amounts of dust within the ejecta of each of these objects.
More
Webb Locates Dust Reservoirs in Two Supernovae
Webb Locates Dust Reservoirs in Two Supernovae
Euclid, an ESA mission with contributions from NASA, is set to launch in July to explore why the universe’s expansion is speeding up.
More
NASA's Roman and ESA's Euclid Will Team Up To Investigate Dark Energy
NASA's Roman and ESA's Euclid Will Team Up To Investigate Dark Energy
Today sensors on orbiting satellites like NASA’s Swift and Fermi missions detect a GRB somewhere in the sky about once a day on average.
More
NASA Looks Back at 50 Years of Gamma-Ray Burst Science
NASA Looks Back at 50 Years of Gamma-Ray Burst Science
Four images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope of two galaxies, a nebula, and a star cluster.
More
NASA's Chandra, Webb Combine for Arresting Views
NASA's Chandra, Webb Combine for Arresting Views
The old complaint is true: Dust gets everywhere. It’s found throughout the cosmos, at the bottom of everything.
More
Dust in the Stellar Wind: A Cosmological Primer
Dust in the Stellar Wind: A Cosmological Primer
A blazing red supergiant shining brilliantly in the night sky, Betelgeuse is a star that has captured attention for centuries.
More
What is Betelgeuse? Inside the Strange, Volatile Star
What is Betelgeuse? Inside the Strange, Volatile Star
Astronomers are celebrating NASA's Hubble Space Telescope's 33rd launch anniversary with an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333.
More
Hubble Celebrates 33rd Anniversary With a Peek Into Nearby Star-Forming Region
Hubble Celebrates 33rd Anniversary With a Peek Into Nearby Star-Forming Region
Astronomers have identified a new threat to life on planets like Earth: intense X-rays from exploded stars can affect planets over 100 light-years away.
More
New Stellar Danger to Planets Identified by NASA's Chandra
New Stellar Danger to Planets Identified by NASA's Chandra
A new image from James Webb Space Telescope shows the remains from an exploding star.
More
Webb Reveals Never-Before-Seen Details in Cassiopeia A
Webb Reveals Never-Before-Seen Details in Cassiopeia A
The rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star was one of the first observations made by NASA’s Webb in June 2022.
More
NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova
NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova
A snapshot of the Tarantula Nebula is featured in this image from Hubble.
More
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
NGC 346, one of the most dynamic star-forming regions in nearby galaxies, is full of mystery. Less so, now, with new findings from NASA’s Webb.
More
NASA's Webb Uncovers Star Formation in Cluster's Dusty Ribbons
NASA's Webb Uncovers Star Formation in Cluster's Dusty Ribbons
The largest and brightest region of star formation in the Local Group of galaxies, imaged here by Chandra and Webb, is called 30 Doradus.
More
The Enduring Stellar Lifecycle in 30 Doradus
The Enduring Stellar Lifecycle in 30 Doradus
There’s more to constellations than meets the eye? They tell us stories about the universe from our perspective on Earth.
More
Discovering the Universe Through the Constellation Orion
Discovering the Universe Through the Constellation Orion
A portion of the open cluster NGC 6530 appears as a roiling wall of smoke studded with stars in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Views a Star-Studded Cosmic Cloud
Hubble Views a Star-Studded Cosmic Cloud
Against an inky black backdrop, the blue swirls of spiral galaxy NGC 6956 stand out radiantly in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Captures Majestic Barred Spiral
Hubble Captures Majestic Barred Spiral
Scientists studying the Carina Nebula discovered jets and outflows from young stars previously hidden by dust.
More
NASA's Webb Unveils Young Stars in Early Stages of Formation
NASA's Webb Unveils Young Stars in Early Stages of Formation
This sparkling new image depicts a small section of the Carina Nebula, one of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope’s most-imaged objects.
More
Hubble's Sparkling New View of the Carina Nebula
Hubble's Sparkling New View of the Carina Nebula
This collection of stars, an open star cluster called NGC 1858, was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
More
Hubble Spies Emission Nebula-Star Cluster Duo
Hubble Spies Emission Nebula-Star Cluster Duo