The supernova we are referring to did not explode 17,000 years ago, but approximately 18,000 years before that night at the entrance to the Altamira cave. At that time, one of the components of a binary system composed of two stars dozens of times more massive than the Sun gave rise to a supernova.
Today, what we see as the remains of that event is quite different. Only about 35 years ago, we discovered a diffuse emission in that area like a large cloud more than 700 light years across using a radio telescope.
The nebula was named the Manatee Nebula, but it's less poetic name is Westerhout 50. In truth, it does look very similar to a manatee with its small head, large body with crossed front legs, and prominent tail.
At the center of this nebula, a small star was already known to exist, having been discovered around 1975 with an X-ray telescope. This object quickly gave rise to many more studies.
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