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Smithsonian Institution: "Frederic Church in Jamaica" To Open This Fall At Cooper Hewitt As Part of Global Celebrations of Church's 200th Birth Anniversary
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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"Frederic Church in Jamaica" To Open This Fall At Cooper Hewitt As Part of Global Celebrations of Church's 200th Birth Anniversary
Cooper Hewitt, Which Holds the Largest Collection of Church Works in the World, Will Showcase Rarely Seen Sketches from the Acclaimed Painter's Travels
October 5, 2026
This fall, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will present "Frederic Church in Jamaica," featuring the artist's rarely exhibited sketches from his 1865 travels to Jamaica. On view Friday, Oct. 30, through
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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"Frederic Church in Jamaica" To Open This Fall At Cooper Hewitt As Part of Global Celebrations of Church's 200th Birth Anniversary
Cooper Hewitt, Which Holds the Largest Collection of Church Works in the World, Will Showcase Rarely Seen Sketches from the Acclaimed Painter's Travels
October 5, 2026
This fall, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will present "Frederic Church in Jamaica," featuring the artist's rarely exhibited sketches from his 1865 travels to Jamaica. On view Friday, Oct. 30, throughMonday, Feb. 15, 2027, the exhibition brings together over 60 works documenting Jamaica's plant life and landscapes in detailed observational studies, framed within Church's personal biography, grieving the loss of his two young children, and the wider context of a society and environment under colonial rule. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Church's birth, the exhibition draws from Cooper Hewitt's holdings of over 2,000 of the artists' oil studies and graphite sketches--the largest collection of Church works in the world.
"'Frederic Church in Jamaica' offers a window into the creative process of one of America's most influential artists through oil studies and 'en plein air' sketches, which have rarely--if ever--been publicly exhibited," said Caitlin Condell, curator and head of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design at Cooper Hewitt. "The 200th anniversary of Church's birth is an ideal moment for a celebration of the artist's extraordinary work and a reinterpretation of these objects in the context of Jamaican history. These intimate drawings, made during a period of intense grief, have a powerful resonance in our contemporary moment."
Acclaimed for his monumental and astonishingly detailed landscape paintings, Church (American, 1826-1900) was an intrepid traveler and regularly journeyed around the globe seeking inspiration for his pictures. However, his April 1865 trip to Jamaica with his wife, Isabel, was in search of emotional and spiritual refuge, following the recent deaths of their two young children from diphtheria. Every day for five months, Church trekked on foot and by horse documenting the island's topography and plant life and capturing dramatic moments of light and weather. Created during the artist's private anguish and the public turmoil engulfing the country, where Black Jamaicans lived in extreme poverty under British colonial rule, the breathtaking sketches attest to the expressive and healing power of drawing from nature and the complexity of memory imbued in the land.
Whether executed in moments or over the course of hours, the sketches on view reveal Church's extraordinary artistic range. The picturesque, atmospheric drawings and oil studies reflect his aspiration to accurately record details of light, color and form, but also the emotional experience of a place or scene. His graphite sketches are frequently annotated with brief notations that are both informative and poetic.
The exhibition will offer important historical context and surface the voices of Black Jamaicans, including Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, who actively addressed political tensions in the island. On view will be reproductions of period photographs (some collected by Church and some from the National Library of Jamaica), as well as rare books from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
Throughout the span of the exhibition, a dynamic lineup of public programs will draw in contemporary perspectives to reflect on Church's career and the relevance of his drawings today, the economic and climate legacy of Jamaica, and the significance of observation and drawing through time. On Thursday, Nov. 12, Victoria Johnson, author of the 2026 Church biography, Glorious Country, will present an illustrated lecture that places Church within the broader global context of his time. Additional programming includes a hands-on workshop with the Smithsonian's botanical illustrator, Alice Tangerini, highlighting the flora native to Jamaica through the practice of drawing specimens.
New Online Platform
In 2027, Cooper Hewitt will launch a digital platform offering new high-resolution photography, illustrations, slideshows and contemporary scholarship of the museum's expansive collection of Church drawings, which span his career and represent nearly all his travels, from the Catskills to Mexico. Through newly cataloged drawings, primary sources and original scholarship, the online platform will amplify accessibility to Church's drawings, emphasize the historical and geographic intersections of his work and encourage research and public engagement from international perspectives.
Accessibility
Cooper Hewitt is committed to the accessibility of its spaces and materials. Image descriptions of objects on view are available on the exhibition's accessibility webpage and in person in the Large Print Label booklet. More information about accessibility at Cooper Hewitt is available on the museum's website.
Acknowledgements
"Frederic Church in Jamaica" is organized by Caitlin Condell, curator and head of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design, with Mackenzie Jones, collections assistant.
Exhibition design and graphic design are by TSKP x IKD.
Support
"Frederic Church in Jamaica" is made possible by the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Robert Lehman Foundation, The Lunder Foundation, The Felicia Fund and the HRBT Foundation.
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About Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Cooper Hewitt is America's design museum. Inclusive, innovative and experimental, the museum's dynamic exhibitions, education programs, master's program, publications and online resources inspire, educate and empower people through design. An integral part of the Smithsonian Institution--the world's largest museum, education and research complex--Cooper Hewitt is located on New York City's Museum Mile in the landmarked Carnegie Mansion. Steward of one of the world's most diverse and comprehensive design collections--over 215,000 objects that range from an ancient Egyptian faience cup dating to about 1100 BC to contemporary 3D-printed objects and digital code--Cooper Hewitt welcomes everyone to discover the importance of design and its power to change the world.
For more information, visit www.cooperhewitt.org or follow @cooperhewitt on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/frederic-church-jamaica-open-fall-cooper-hewitt-part-global-celebrations-churchs
Smithsonian Books To Publish the Definitive Book on Groundbreaking Jeweler Art Smith
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Books To Publish the Definitive Book on Groundbreaking Jeweler Art Smith
Available Tuesday, Oct. 6
October 6, 2026
Smithsonian Books, in association with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), will release Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith to commemorate one of the most innovative 20th-century American jewelers. Art Smith (1917-1982) regarded the human body as its own design element.
His bold and fluid designs redefined modernist jewelry and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Books To Publish the Definitive Book on Groundbreaking Jeweler Art Smith
Available Tuesday, Oct. 6
October 6, 2026
Smithsonian Books, in association with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), will release Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith to commemorate one of the most innovative 20th-century American jewelers. Art Smith (1917-1982) regarded the human body as its own design element.
His bold and fluid designs redefined modernist jewelry andled him to create custom pieces for such high-profile individuals as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and jazz pianist Duke Ellington.
The book features 160 archival images and photos that highlight Smith's life, career and the intricate details of his jewelry, including newly commissioned photography of his work, unpublished design sketches and personal and family photographs.
Essays from Smithsonian curator Joanne Hyppolite and art historian Toni Greenbaum explore his practice and his legacy, revealing an artist influenced by jazz, dance, visual art, pan-African regalia and postwar scientific discoveries. Bodyworks draws on two untapped archival collections held by NMAAHC, which includes biographical materials, and more than 60 jewelry pieces from the museum's holdings, along with those of other museums and private collections.
Smith was already a pioneer in his field as a Black, gay jeweler, but his work that moved to its own rhythm made him a trailblazer who continues to inspire artists. Bodyworks is a stunning, well-researched tribute to one of the jewelry world's finest craftsmen.
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About the Authors
Joanne Hyppolite is the assistant director for culture at NMAAHC, the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. She is the curator of "Cultural Expressions," a permanent exhibition that showcases Smith's work. Under her direction, the museum has acquired two major archival collections on Smith.
Toni Greenbaum is an art historian specializing in 20th- and 21st-century jewelry and metalwork. She has written extensively on modernist jewelry, including Messengers of Modernism: American Studio Jewelry 1940-1960, considered the standard text on the subject.
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About the Book
Title: Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith
On-Sale Date: 10/6/26
Price: $50.00 US / $66.00 CAN
Pages: 176
ISBN: 9781588348234
Available wherever books are sold.
Smithsonian Books
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-books-publish-definitive-book-groundbreaking-jeweler-art-smith
SSA Missed Opportunities to Inform Disabled Beneficiaries of Their Potential Eligibility for Higher Retirement Benefits
WOODLAWN, Maryland, Oct. 7 (TNSbrep) -- The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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SSA Missed Opportunities to Inform Disabled Beneficiaries of Their Potential Eligibility for Higher Retirement Benefits
October 06, 2026
The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an audit report, Follow-up on Disabled Beneficiaries Who Are Eligible for Higher Retirement Insurance Benefits. The audit examined whether SSA properly notified certain disabled beneficiaries--specifically those whose disability
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, Oct. 7 (TNSbrep) -- The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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SSA Missed Opportunities to Inform Disabled Beneficiaries of Their Potential Eligibility for Higher Retirement Benefits
October 06, 2026
The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an audit report, Follow-up on Disabled Beneficiaries Who Are Eligible for Higher Retirement Insurance Benefits. The audit examined whether SSA properly notified certain disabled beneficiaries--specifically those whose disabilitybenefits the Social Security Act requires SSA to reduce because they also received workers' compensation or public disability benefits--about their potential eligibility for higher retirement benefits.
This issue was first identified in a 2015 OIG audit, which found that SSA needed to improve its controls to ensure it informed disabled beneficiaries of their eligibility for higher retirement benefits and documented reasons when beneficiaries chose not to file. SSA agreed to take corrective action and later automated portions of its process to notify beneficiaries. However, this follow-up audit found that notification and documentation deficiencies persisted.
Based on the results of sample, OIG estimated SSA:
* did not notify 8,726 beneficiaries of their option to file for higher retirement benefits; and
* notified 3,659 beneficiaries but did not appropriately document their decisions not to file or reasons they did not file.
OIG estimated these beneficiaries could have been entitled to about $84 million in additional benefits; however, statutory restrictions prevent SSA employees from taking actions to issue the payments.
Auditors also determined SSA may be able to pay an estimated $41 million to an additional 4,785 beneficiaries who previously filed for retirement benefits but were not paid the correct, higher amount.
The report concludes that, while SSA has taken steps in recent years to automate its notification processes, gaps remain-- particularly in documenting decisions, ensuring correct payments when beneficiaries elect the higher benefit, and following up with non responders.
"Ensuring disabled beneficiaries are fully informed of their filing options--and accurately paid when they elect higher retirement benefits--is essential to delivering the customer service the public deserves," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. "These disabled beneficiaries depend on SSA to provide timely information that supports sound retirement decisions. Our findings show there is still work to be done to strengthen these processes and help safeguard beneficiaries' financial well-being."
The OIG made four recommendations aimed at improving notification, documentation, and payment accuracy, SSA agreed to implement all recommendations. These include correcting beneficiary records, refining processes to identify and address similar cases, improving controls over employee actions, and clarifying policy guidance--particularly related to how SSA follows up with beneficiaries who do not respond.
Read the full report here (https://oig.ssa.gov/~assets/audits/full/012320.pdf).
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-10-06-ssa-missed-opportunities-to-inform-disabled-beneficiaries-of-their-potential-eligibility-for-higher-retirement-benefits/
SBA Awards Over $7 Million Create Nine New Regional Innovation Clusters
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
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SBA Awards Over $7 Million Create Nine New Regional Innovation Clusters
New RICs Will Counsel Small Business Suppliers Across Critical Supply Chains, Expanding Domestic Industrial Capacity
October 6, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced more than $7 million in awards to establish nine new Regional Innovation Clusters (RICs) supporting small businesses and startups in biotechnology, defense, advanced manufacturing, and transportation. The clusters will
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
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SBA Awards Over $7 Million Create Nine New Regional Innovation Clusters
New RICs Will Counsel Small Business Suppliers Across Critical Supply Chains, Expanding Domestic Industrial Capacity
October 6, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced more than $7 million in awards to establish nine new Regional Innovation Clusters (RICs) supporting small businesses and startups in biotechnology, defense, advanced manufacturing, and transportation. The clusters willserve as regional hubs connecting entrepreneurs with resources and opportunities--including business acceleration programs, market research, customer discovery, and government and commercial contracting assistance--to help them access funding, pursue procurement opportunities, and strengthen domestic supply chains.
"President Trump is restoring America's industrial capacity--from defense systems and biotechnology to advanced manufacturing and transportation," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "By expanding and modernizing our nationwide network of Regional Innovation Clusters, the SBA is supercharging production capacity in communities across the country and helping small businesses bring critical technologies from the drawing board to the factory floor. The result is a stronger industrial base, more resilient supply chains, and less dependence on foreign competitors."
A Regional Innovation Cluster is a concentration of small businesses, suppliers, buyers, manufacturers, research institutions, and capital providers organized around a single industry in a single geographic area. The RIC Program strengthens industry through regional collaboration connecting small businesses with end customers -- shortening the distance between a small business with a product and the prime contractor, manufacturer, or buyer that needs it.
With these nine new awards, there are now 12 RICs serving unique regions across the country to support small businesses in critical industries like advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical minerals, defense, and transportation.
The new RIC award recipients are as follows:
RIC Organization ... Region of Service ... Industry
Blackberg Group ... Tampa Bay, Fla. ... Biotechnology
C4 Holding CO, LLC ... Southern Calif. ... Defense
EndRun ... Arizona ... Defense
Hyperion Technologies ... San Antonio and Austin, Texas ... Advanced Manufacturing
Precision Platform Solutions ... Louisiana ... Defense
StartUp Junkie Consulting ... Ozarks (Ark., Okla., Mo.) ... Transportation
Traverse Connect ... Northern Mich. ... Defense
University City Science Center ... Mid-Atlantic (Pa., N.J., Del., Md., Washington, D.C.) ... Biotechnology
University of Central Florida Research Foundation ... Central-Southern Fla. ... Defense
To learn more about the RIC Program, visit https://sba.gov/local-assistance/regional-innovation-clusters.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/10/06/sba-awards-over-7-million-create-nine-new-regional-innovation-clusters
Report Finds SSA Can Improve Accuracy of Child's Insurance Benefit Disability Determinations
WOODLAWN, Maryland, Oct. 7 (TNSbrep) -- The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Report Finds SSA Can Improve Accuracy of Child's Insurance Benefit Disability Determinations
October 06, 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) did not consistently follow required policy when denying and later approving certain child's insurance benefit claims, according to a new report issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The audit examined whether SSA correctly denied initial claims for child's insurance benefits after
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, Oct. 7 (TNSbrep) -- The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Report Finds SSA Can Improve Accuracy of Child's Insurance Benefit Disability Determinations
October 06, 2026
The Social Security Administration (SSA) did not consistently follow required policy when denying and later approving certain child's insurance benefit claims, according to a new report issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The audit examined whether SSA correctly denied initial claims for child's insurance benefits afterfinding the claimants were not disabled and whether it properly paid benefits when those claims were later approved.
OIG reviewed a statistically valid sample of 100 claims from a population of 5,237 child's insurance benefit claims filed between January 2023 and November 2025. All sampled claims had been initially denied after SSA determined the claimants were not disabled but were later approved.
The audit found that SSA correctly denied--and subsequently approved and paid--49 of the 100 reviewed claims. However, for the remaining 51 claims, SSA employees did not correctly deny the claims, process required documentation, and/or compute payments after approval.
Based on the sample, OIG estimated:
* SSA employees incorrectly denied an estimated 600 claims by not following policy.
* In an estimated 450 claims, SSA employees did not document required steps before denying claims for missing forms or evidence.
* After claims were later approved, SSA employees did not correctly determine entitlement dates or compute payments for an estimated 1,100 claimants, resulting in underpayments of approximately $1.2 million.
The review also found instances in which employees should have adopted prior disability determinations instead of forwarding claims for new determinations, contributing to significant delays for some applicants.
The OIG recommended SSA:
1. Correct entitlement dates or benefit payments for identified claimants, and
2. Address the underlying factors contributing to policy non-compliance in determining whether to adopt prior disability determinations.
SSA agreed to implement both recommendations.
"These findings highlight opportunities for the Agency to strengthen its processes and ensure claimants receive timely and accurate decisions," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. "When employees do not follow policies, claimants can face unnecessary delays and financial hardship. We appreciate SSA's agreement with our recommendations and look forward to its corrective actions to better serve the public."
Read the full report here (https://oig.ssa.gov/~assets/audits/full/052610.pdf).
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-10-06-report-finds-ssa-can-improve-accuracy-of-child%E2%80%99s-insurance-benefit-disability-determinations/
NASA's Curiosity Rover Catches Stunning Martian Dawn
PASADENA, California, Oct. 7 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Catches Stunning Martian Dawn
Oct. 6, 2026
Sunlight illuminates wind-carved cliffs in a dramatic new image.
A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. The scene was snapped at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time, showing striking blue hues in the foreground as bright morning light illuminates crags known as
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Oct. 7 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Catches Stunning Martian Dawn
Oct. 6, 2026
Sunlight illuminates wind-carved cliffs in a dramatic new image.
A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. The scene was snapped at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time, showing striking blue hues in the foreground as bright morning light illuminates crags known asyardangs on the horizon.
The panorama was captured by Curiosity's Mastcam on Aug. 11, the 4,982nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission, and comprises six individual images that were stitched together after being sent to Earth. Unlike most of Curiosity's Mastcam images, this one was processed without white balancing, preserving the early morning appearance.
The yardang layer extends roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) across the northwestern reaches of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain that Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. In fact, the rover recently passed another milestone in its ascent, reaching 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of elevation -- the most ever climbed on Mars. As it draws ever-closer to the yardangs, mission scientists expect to get even more amazing imagery -- and, they hope, answers to how these cliffs were created.
Mount Sharp is made up of layers, each recording a distinct period of Mars' history. By studying them, scientists have been able to learn more about lakes and streams that covered this part of the Red Planet billions of years ago. Eventually, the water dried up and left salty minerals behind. After new material stopped settling on the mountain, some of it may have been stripped away by wind, giving rise to the yardangs.
"The yardang layer looks out of place. It's the wrong color, the layers tilt at an odd angle, and it almost appears plastered on," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "But that's what makes it exciting to reach. No one is sure exactly what created this layer, but one idea is it may be ash deposited by ancient volcanic eruptions."
Curiosity is in the second year of its fifth extended mission, which started with an exploration of the spiderweb-like boxwork ridges. The rover will spend most of the next year or so driving through layers enriched with sulfates and carbonates, both signs of ancient drying on the surface. Sometime in 2027, scientists hope to reach the base of the yardangs, where Curiosity will be able to use its robotic arm to collect one-of-a-kind data on these mysterious features.
More about Curiosity
Curiosity was built by NASA JPL, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. NASA JPL leads the mission on behalf of the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of its Mars Exploration Program portfolio. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-rover-catches-stunning-martian-dawn/
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics: Fireworks in the Sky - Gemini North Reveals Pearl-Like Knots in the Remnant of a Supernova Witnessed in the Year 1181
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Oct. 7 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Fireworks in the Sky: Gemini North Reveals Pearl-Like Knots in the Remnant of a Supernova Witnessed in the Year 1181
Cascading knot structures of a historic supernova remnant are uncovered in new observations from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i
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Cambridge, MA (October 6, 2026)--No, this is not a fireworks display.
This is Pa 30 -- the likely remnant of the historic supernova witnessed in the year 1181, now captured here in unprecedented detail by the Gemini
... Show Full Article
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Oct. 7 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Fireworks in the Sky: Gemini North Reveals Pearl-Like Knots in the Remnant of a Supernova Witnessed in the Year 1181
Cascading knot structures of a historic supernova remnant are uncovered in new observations from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i
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Cambridge, MA (October 6, 2026)--No, this is not a fireworks display.
This is Pa 30 -- the likely remnant of the historic supernova witnessed in the year 1181, now captured here in unprecedented detail by the GeminiNorth telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This image was captured with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS), and it shows that the remnant's unmistakable firework-shaped ejecta take a cascading knot-like structure.
The analysis was led by Harvard College Observatory astronomer Timothy Cunningham of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and Ilaria Caiazzo of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
"Pa 30 has always looked like a cosmic firework, but our observations show that its filaments have a surprisingly intricate structure," siad Cunningham. "Instead of simple streaks, we see chains of bright knots extending outward from the center."
The historic supernova, named SN 1181, is one of only five supernovae in the Milky Way that were observed from Earth before the invention of the telescope. Eight separate texts show that Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic astronomers first observed the supernova between 4 and 6 August 1181. The supernova remained visible in the constellation Cassiopeia for 185 days. According to what we know about how stars end their lives, the colossal explosion would have left something behind. Pa 30, a system composed of a blue central star and surrounding firework-shaped shell, is the top candidate for this supernova remnant.
Pa 30 was only discovered in 2013 through a citizen science campaign to find planetary nebulae in Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data. It was the 30th nebula found by American amateur astronomer Dana Patchick. Follow-up imaging on the KPNO 2.1-meter Telescope and the Hiltner 2.4-meter Telescope, both located at NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, revealed faint, diffuse nebular emission and remarkable radial filaments threading the nebula in a nearly perfect sphere. Based on its estimated age and brightness, scientists consider Pa 30 to be the likely remnant of SN 1181.
Analysis of the new observations from Gemini North reveals about ten times more filamentary structure in Pa 30 than previously seen. It also shows that the radial filaments are made of consistent chains of tiny knots of gas, rather than smooth streaks as previously thought. This knotty structure suggests that there may have been thermal or density variations in the circumstellar medium that shaped the supernova ejecta as it expanded radially away from the explosion.
Pa 30 is unique among all known supernova remnants. The central star remaining after the explosion, IRAS 00500+6713, is extremely hot, with a temperature of about 200,000 C (~360,000 F). It also possesses very fast stellar winds that move at around 16,000 kilometers per second (~10,000 miles per second).
"The knots give us clues about what happened when this star exploded and how the material from that explosion has moved through its surroundings," Cunningham said. "They're helping us reconstruct the history of this unusual supernova."
Surviving remnant stars are expected to be "kicked" away during the powerful supernova explosion. However, the central star of Pa 30 appears almost exactly centered in the remnant. This curious configuration implies that the explosion was quite symmetrical, and it rules out a large kick that could have knocked the star off-center. From this, the researchers conclude that SN 1181 was an extremely rare Type Iax supernova. Unlike the standard high-energy explosions of Type Ia supernovae that wipe out their stars, Type Iax supernovae are lower-energy, incomplete explosions that leave behind a surviving remnant star. Pa 30 is the only known Type Iax remnant in the Milky Way.
"There's something powerful about observing the aftermath of an event recorded by people in 1181," said Cunningham. "Their descriptions began the story, and our observations are allowing us to continue it across nearly nine centuries."
More information
Analysis of this data is presented in a paper titled "Detection of knots in the supernova type Iax remnant Pa 30" appearing in The Astrophysical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae9cb2
The team is composed of T. Cunningham (Center for Astrophysics -- Harvard & Smithsonian [CfA]; now University of Warwick), I. Caiazzo (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), J. C. Raymond (CfA), and S. J. Kenyon (CfA).
NSF NOIRLab, the U.S. National Science Foundation center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the International Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRC-Canada, ANID-Chile, MCTIC-Brazil, MINCyT-Argentina, and KASI-Republic of Korea), NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (in cooperation with DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory). It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
The scientific community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on I'oligam Du'ag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawai'i, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence of I'oligam Du'ag to the Tohono O'odham Nation, and Maunakea to the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) community.
Publication:
T. Cunningham, I. Caiazzo, J. C. Raymond, and S. J. Kenyon. 2026. Detection of knots in the supernova type Iax remnant Pa 30. The Astrophysical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae9cb2
About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask, and ultimately answer, humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The CfA is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.
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About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask, and ultimately answer, humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The CfA is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.
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Original text here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/fireworks-sky-gemini-north-reveals-pearl-knots-remnant-supernova-witnessed-year-1181
