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Supernova remnant

The Jellyfish Nebula

Also IC 443 · Sh 2-248

Open in OuranosCompare its size

The remnant of a supernova in Gemini, crashing into the molecular clouds around it.

Measured

Distance
about 5,179 light-years (published estimates 5,082–5,313)
Size
about 68 light-years across (approximate)
Constellation
Gemini
Position (J2000)
RA 6h 16m 59s, Dec +22.57°

How far, from the Sun

About 5,180 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light5,180 years
  • Voyager 1's speed92 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h55.9 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • Gamma rays from it show that supernova remnants accelerate cosmic-ray protons.
  • Its distance comes from the clouds it is hitting: where stars behind them start to look dimmed and reddened, using Gaia parallaxes with sky-survey colours.

Where this comes from

  • Zucker et al. 2020, A&A 633, A51: the molecular clouds it is hitting (1,588 pc; sightlines 1,558–1,629 pc)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.