Out to what distance can we resolve the structure of a supernova remnant in the infrared? Until recently, it was only possible to do so for remnants in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds, but JWST has now extended that capability to other nearby galaxies. In a recent research article, Sumit Sarbadhicary (The Ohio State University) and collaborators used JWST to study supernova remnants in the Triangulum Galaxy (Messier 33), a small spiral galaxy that is 2.7 million light-years away. The study area contained 40 supernova remnants that were previously identified at other wavelengths. The image above shows a portion of the galaxy’s southern spiral arm, where each white circle indicates a known supernova remnant. Infrared observations of supernova remnants are critical for understanding the physics of the interstellar medium and the composition, formation, and destruction of dust. To learn more about how JWST has pushed the limits of our search for extragalactic supernova remnants, and for details on each of the remnants detected by JWST in the Triangulum Galaxy, be sure to check out the full research article linked below.
Citation
“A First Look at Spatially Resolved Infrared Supernova Remnants in M33 with JWST,” Sumit K. Sarbadhicary et al 2025 ApJ 989 138. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adec7a