Stars & Stripes Poster | NASA Cassiopeia A Space Photography Wall Art

Stars & Stripes Poster — A spectacular NASA composite image of Cassiopeia A, one of the most famous supernova remnants in the universe, rendered in red, white, and blue from Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope data. Released by NASA in celebration of America's 250th birthday, this breathtaking image shows the remains of a massive star that exploded approximately 340 years ago, located 11,000 light-years from Earth. Brilliant blue and purple X-ray filaments from Chandra reveal the blast wave and elements like iron, calcium, and oxygen in the debris field, while Webb's infrared data captures the expanding shell and cosmic dust in red and white - creating an image that is both cutting-edge science and a stunning tribute to the stars and stripes.

Why You'll Love It

• Authentic NASA multi-telescope composite combining Chandra X-ray (blue/purple) and Webb infrared (red/white) data
• Released by NASA to celebrate America's 250th anniversary in red, white, and blue
• Museum-quality print of one of the most studied supernova remnants in the cosmos
• Perfect for patriotic space enthusiasts, astronomy fans, American space program supporters, and anyone who sees beauty in the cosmic version of the stars and stripes

About Swell Scenes

Swell Scenes is a passion project born from a love of travel, surfing, and beautiful places. We create original vintage-style travel poster art inspired by iconic destinations around the world.

Each piece is designed in-house and printed on demand with premium materials — so you get a fresh, high-quality print made just for you.

Product Features

• Available in multiple sizes — from intimate 8×10 prints to large 24×36 statement pieces
• Premium matte finish paper with rich, vibrant color reproduction
• Optional floating wood frames in black, white, or natural wood
• Canvas prints available for a gallery-quality, frameless look
• Ready to hang straight out of the box (framed and canvas options)
• Clean modern design with Stars & Stripes title, Cassiopeia A designation, Chandra/Webb notation, and 2026 date

About This Composite Image

This composite image of Cassiopeia A was released by NASA as part of a special collection celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States, rendered in the nation's colors of red, white, and blue. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (shown in blue and purple) reveals the blast wave that tore through the dying star and the elements scattered in the debris field, including iron, calcium, and oxygen heated to millions of degrees. Infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope (shown in red and white) reveals the expanding shell of material from the explosion and cosmic dust throughout the remnant. Cassiopeia A is the remains of a massive star that exhausted its nuclear fuel and collapsed under its own gravity approximately 340 years ago from Earth's perspective. Before it exploded, the star resembled an onion with layers of progressively heavier elements - hydrogen, helium, carbon, silicon, sulfur, calcium, and neon - wrapped around an iron core. When that iron core grew beyond a critical mass, the star collapsed and rebounded in a supernova explosion that scattered those elements across space. These are the same elements that make up planets, oceans, and living organisms - including every atom of iron in your blood, every trace of calcium in your bones. Cassiopeia A was one of the first objects Chandra observed after its launch in 1999 and has been studied repeatedly for over 25 years, with astronomers continuing to discover new details about the physics of stellar death. The supernova remnant is located approximately 11,000 light-years from Earth in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, making it one of the closest supernova remnants and one of the most important laboratories for studying how massive stars end their lives and seed the universe with the building blocks of new stars, planets, and life.