The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the aftermath of a type II supernova explosion in spiral galaxy UGC 2890, 30 million light-years away in the constellation Camel. Although the supernova exploded in 2009, Hubble recently interrupted its regular observation program to test the effects of the explosion. Hubble’s study of Type II supernovae is helping to understand the types of stars that cause these explosions and the survivors of these catastrophic events.

The somewhat amorphous spiral galaxy UGC 2890 is seen from the side in this image from NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope, with bright foreground stars punctuating the image. This galaxy is located about 30 million light-years from us in the constellation Camel. In 2009, astronomers observed a devastatingly powerful supernova explosion in UGC 2890. Although the supernova itself has long since disappeared, Hubble recently interrupted its regular observation schedule to study the consequences of this explosive event.

A type II supernova is an extremely powerful explosion that marks the violent death of a massive star. The core of a massive star vibrates and stops producing energy as it consumes the elements necessary for nuclear fusion. With nothing to support the destructive gravitational force, the star’s core contracts and then suddenly explodes, causing the star’s outer layers to collapse inward and leap into space in a supernova explosion.

This observation is one of many Hubble studies on Type II supernovae. Astronomers turned to Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to probe the environment of type II supernovae in hopes of revealing the ages and masses of nearby stars. This will eventually provide information on the types of stars that produce Type II supernovae, and will also reveal stars that have survived massive supernova explosions.