Science Visualized Astronomy Observers caught these stars going supernova Massive stellar explosions created these luminous, expanding shells of gas and dust STELLAR SHREDS Thirty years ago, astronomers witnessed a nearby stellar explosion (illustrated above), but it wasn’t the first. Humanity has been recording local supernovas for nearly two millennia. ALMA (ESO, NAOJ, NRAO), Alexandra Angelich (NRAO, AUI, NSF) Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Christopher Crockett February 8, 2017 at 12:47 pm In A.D. 185, Chinese records note the appearance of a “guest star” that then faded away over the span of several months.