Astronomers took the most detailed look yet at Pa 30, a supernova remnant about 7,500 light-years away. Medieval records from 1181 recorded the explosion. At its center sits a rare 'zombie star,' a white dwarf that somehow survived the blast that usually destroys it.
Type Iax supernovas like this one almost never leave a survivor, and Pa 30 is the only remnant where we can see one. The zombie star sits almost perfectly centered, meaning the blast was symmetrical and gave the star barely any kick. Because Pa 30 is nearby and young, it works as a close-up lab for how certain stars die and, occasionally, don't.
✦ Some stars survive their own explosions — and one sits close enough to study.