June 9, 2009--That's no ordinary supernova remnant. The materials inside SNR 0104 suggest it formed from the explosion of a white dwarf star. But in x-ray and infrared light, the structure looks unlike any other known remains from this kind of star death, according to astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

It's possible the remnant's asymmetric shape was caused by jets of iron that shot out during the explosion or by interactions with clumps of nearby gas. Researchers hope further examinations will help settle the matter.