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Stunning image shows the rainbow wreckage of Cassiopeia A

Original: The rainbow wreckage of a dead star. This is Cassiopeia A — what's left of a star about 20 times the Sun's mass that tor

Astronomy enthusiasts are sharing a vivid image of Cassiopeia A, the remnant of a star roughly 20 times the Sun's mass that exploded about 340 years ago, some 11,000 light-years from Earth. The image colors show different chemical elements flung outward in the blast, including silicon, sulfur, calcium and iron, illustrating how supernovae scatter the raw ingredients for planets and life across space.

Why now: Striking new visualizations of this famous supernova remnant keep circulating as people marvel at the chemistry of stellar death.

Cassiopeia Athe Sun

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• The rainbow wreckage of a dead star. This is Cassiopeia A — what's left of a star about 20 times the Sun's mass that tore itself apart 340 years ago, 11,000 light-years away. Each color is a different element flung outward: silicon, sulfur, calcium, iron — the raw ingredients… · eatrics · 1

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