Gemini North Telescope Captures Detailed Image of Pa 30, Remnant of SN 1181 Supernova
Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i, astronomers unveiled a fresh image of Pa 30, the remnant of the supernova SN 1181, which was witnessed from Earth in August 1181. This event is among five supernovae in the Milky Way documented prior to the advent of telescopes, with records found in Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic writings. Amateur astronomer Dana Patchick discovered Pa 30 in 2013 and subsequent observations suggested it was the remnant of SN 1181. The latest image from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) showcases its intricate filamentary structure and chemical makeup. The central star of Pa 30 reaches approximately 200,000° C, making it the sole known Type Iax remnant in our galaxy. These findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal on October 6, 2026.
Key facts
- Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i captured a new image of supernova remnant Pa 30
- SN 1181 was witnessed in August 1181 and is one of only five Milky Way supernovae observed before the telescope's invention
- Eight texts in Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic document observations between August 4 and 6, 1181
- The supernova was believed visible in Cassiopeia for 185 days
- Pa 30 was discovered in 2013 via a citizen science program using the WISE dataset
- Amateur American astronomer Dana Patchick found Pa 30 as his 30th nebula, giving it the name Patchick #30
- The new GMOS image has about 10 times better resolution of Pa 30's filamentary structure
- Pa 30's central star is around 200,000° C with winds of about 16,000 kilometers per second and is nearly perfectly centered
- Researchers conclude SN 1181 was an extremely rare Type Iax supernova, and Pa 30 is the only known Type Iax remnant in the Milky Way
- The research paper 'Detection of Knots in the Type Iax Supernova Remnant Pa 30' was published October 6, 2026, in The Astrophysical Journal
Entities
Artists
- Tim Cunningham
- Illaria Caiazzo
- John C. Raymond
- Scott J. Kenyon
- Dana Patchick
- J. Miller
- M. Rodriguez
- T.A. Rector
Institutions
- Gemini North telescope
- International Gemini Observatory
- NOIRLab
- NSF
- AURA
- Center for Astrophysics — Harvard & Smithsonian
- NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory
- Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)
- University of Alabama
- The Astrophysical Journal
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Hawai'i
- United States
- Cassiopeia
- China
- Japan
- Arab world