M 74 and Supernova SN2003gd

This image is the galaxy M 74, as seen by SST's infrared array camera. The white box to the left of the Galaxy's center identifies the location of the Supernova Remnant. In all the images, the blue dots represent hot gas and stars. The galaxy's cool dust is shown in red.
Astronomers using NASA's SST have spotted a "dust factory" 30 MLY away in the spiral galaxy M 74. The factory is located at the scene of a massive star's explosive death, or supernova.
While astronomers have suspected for years that supernovae could be producers of cosmic dust particles, the technology to confirm this suspicion has only recently become available.