A composite image shows the remains of supernova SN 1181, a cataclysmic collision of two stars. The spherical nebula has at its center a hot white dwarf, or "zombie star," left behind after the likely merger.
Mandatory Credit: NASA/ESA/USAF/NSF via CNN Newsource
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A supernova shone in the night sky 1,000 years ago. Astronomers have now found its leftover ‘zombie star’
For six months in 1181, a dying star left a mark in the night sky. The striking object appeared as bright as Saturn in the vicinity of the constellation Cassiopeia, and historical chronicles from China and Japan recorded it as a “guest star.”
