In a gas cloud left after a star exploded (called a supernova remnant), astronomers noticed a giant glowing letter S. It was drawn by two jets of superheated material ejected during the cataclysm. These jets didn't just shoot straight out — they slowly spun like a top, which bent their path into curves. The process is similar to a garden sprinkler that rotates and draws zigzags with water, except the scale is billions of times larger and instead of water, it's plasma.

But what twisted these ejections? The most unexpected answer is cosmic cannibalism. One hypothesis suggests that a neutron star (the ultra-dense core of the dead star) tore apart a neighboring white dwarf, and as it devoured its matter, it spat out spinning jets. Another possibility: the explosion originated in a layer rich in helium and oxygen, and itself possessed rotation. Similar S-shaped figures are found in other supernova remnants — it seems such a curly flourish is left behind after many stellar deaths.