For the first time in history, a group of astronomers have obtained a 3D view of the aftermath of a star exploding. This is also known as a supernova. A very large Telescope was used at the European Southern Observatory in Chile to study the supernova, which lies 168,000 light-years away.

The results of this telescope show the original blast was very powerful and concentrated in one particular direction. It was the first supernova visible with the naked eye to have been observed for some 383 years and was originally seen in 1987.

What is so fascinating is that the first material to be ejected from the explosion traveled at 100 million km per hour. This is about 100,000 times faster than a passenger jet. But even at this incredible speed it took 10 years to reach a previously existing ring of gas and dust puffed out by the star while it was dying. What is also seen from the images is another wave of material that is traveling 10 times more slowly and is being heated by radioactive elements created in the explosion.

The video zoom shows images of the supernova from the European Southern Observatory telescopes and it ends with an artist's impression of a close-up of the exploding star. As we continue on in the 21st century, we still find ourselves in awe of what the universe has to teach us.