A supernova explosion,a massive star's inevitable an spectacular demise,blasts back into space debris enriched in the heavy element forgedin it stellar core.Incorporated into future stars and planets, these are theelements ultimately necessary for life Seen here ina false-color x-ray image, supernova remnantSNR 0103-72.6 is revealed to be just such an expanding debriscloud in neighboring galaxy, th SmallMagellanic Cloud.Judging from the measured size of the expanding outer ring ofshock-heated gas, about 150 light-years, light fromthe original supernova explosion would have first reachedEarth about 10,000 years ago.Hundreds of supernova remnantshave been identified asmuch sought after astronomical laboratories for studying thecycle o element synthesisand enrichment, but th x-ray data also showthat the hot gas at the center of thisparticular supernova remnant is exceptionally richin neon and oxygen.
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