Hubble time! 🌌 The galaxy IC 758 is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. In this Hubble image captured in 2023, IC 758 appears peaceful, its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred centre. But in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy: the supernova SN 1999bg. SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun. It’s not yet known how massive this star was before it exploded. Researchers will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighbourhood, which will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion, which would give additional clues about the star’s life and death. A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star — it’s also a powerful force that can shape its neighbourhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, it...