Supernova mystery solved

The remains of a supernova that revolutionised modern astrophysics has been confirmed as a neutron star. The event, spotted in 1987, was the closest and brightest supernova observed since 1604, giving astronomers the unprecedented view of how stars die. Now the James Webb Space Telescope has peered through the veil of dust left by the explosion and detected ionised argon and sulphur gas, the signature of an ultradense neutron star.