V745 Sco: Two Stars, Three Dimensions, and Oodles of Energy

Client: NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Date: 2017
Caption: This illustrated figure depicts the 3D model of the V745 Sco explosion. The blast wave is yellow, the mass ejected by the explosion is purple, and the disk of cooler material, which is mostly untouched by the effects of the blast wave, is blue. The cavity visible on the left side of the ejected material (see the labeled version) is the result of the debris from the white dwarf’s surface being slowed down as it strikes the red giant.
Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
Link: https://chandra.si.edu/photo/2017/v745/