The supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5 as seen by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope
ESO/P. Das et al. Background stars (Hubble): K. Noll et al.
This captivating image captures a rare double-detonating supernova, showcasing a two-toned sphere observed by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia, believe that this stunning ball of gas and dust originated from a white dwarf star that exploded after absorbing helium from another star. The initial explosion occurred approximately 300 years ago and could have been among the brightest celestial objects in the southern hemisphere’s night sky if not obscured by the sun’s glare from Earth.
Starship explosion
James Temple Photography
SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket designed by CEO Elon Musk for future Mars missions, experienced a turbulent year. While the rocket successfully completed an orbital test flight in August, the preceding three launch attempts ended in fiery explosions, humorously termed “rapid unscheduled disassemblies” by SpaceX. A chef working on a yacht near the Turks and Caicos Islands, James Temple, captured the dramatic streaks of Starship’s seventh failed flight test as it disintegrated in the sky in January.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, on 18 March
NASA/Keegan Barber
Despite Starship’s setbacks, SpaceX achieved success in other missions throughout the year, particularly in ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station when NASA lacked a suitable rocket. This image captures the moment when a SpaceX Dragon capsule safely landed near a pod of dolphins after returning two NASA astronauts who had spent nine months on the ISS due to safety concerns surrounding Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
