More cool space photos!  Photoshopped looking images that actually exist!
The following are photographs of supernovas; essentially stars that exploded.

Oldest Supernova

The oldest recorded supernova is this one, RCW 86, located 8,000 light-years away in the constellation Circinus. It was noted nearly 2,000 years ago (in 185 A.D.) as a “guest star” in Chinese astronomical documents. Light from the supernova was visible for nearly eight months in the sky before it faded, leaving this amazing remnant behind.

Crab Nebula

Arguably the most famous supernova remnant is the Crab nebula, found 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. The remnant represents the remains of a supernova that exploded in 1054 A.D., which was recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers at the time. At the Crab nebula’s center is a spinning pulsar, a neutron star that spews a beam of radiation at Earth every 30.2 seconds.


Source:  http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/supernova-remnants-gallery/?pid=6103