Hard-to-Kill Star Survives Nearby Supernova Explosion - Video

A lucky star somehow survived the explosive death of its stellar companion, new images reveal.

The explosion, known as a supernova, would have been visible from Earth several thousand years ago.

While the supernova remnant (called DEM L241) has been known since the 1970s, the companion star remained invisible until NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory recently examined the region.

Scientists explained the hard-to-kill star's supernova survival in a video.

The surviving star's days are numbered, however. Its massive size suggests it too is destined for a catastrophic explosion a few million years from now, researchers said.