Rare supernova could help us understand the Milky Way’s ancient halo

By Jason Arunn Murugesu

The remains of a supernova – an exploded star – in an unusual location could help us examine the oldest part of our galaxy.

Eugene Churazov at the Space Research Institute in Moscow, Russia, and his colleagues analysed data from an all-sky survey done with the eROSITA X-ray telescope aboard the Spektr-RG space observatory. The researchers discovered a large, circular object almost 10,000 light years away.

They say its shape suggests it is a supernova remnant, but it doesn’t look like an ordinary one. It appears …