Possible range of past trajectories of SGR 0501+4516 based on the proper motion as measured with HST. Left: HST/WFC3 F160W image of the field surrounding SGR 0501+4516. The possible past trajectories of SGR 0501+4516 are indicated by the light green transparent lines. These are random draws from the RA and Dec proper motion distribution, defined by their best-fit values and uncertainties (assuming these are Gaussian), multiplied by an age of τ ∼ 10 kyr. Middle: Same but for a wider field of view and IPHAS Hα imaging. The past trajectory over 10⁵ years is shown in red, and the trajectory of 10⁴ years (same as in the left panel) is shown in green. A dashed circle with radius 15 kyr × 5.4 mas yr⁻¹ is also shown. Right: Wide-field 1.4 GHz image from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey. The trajectory over 1Myr is shown in light blue (10⁵ again in red), demonstrating that SGR 0501+4516 and SNR HB9 are not physically associated. In each case, the field of view of the previous panel is shown. As discussed in the text, there is no evidence of any region of intense star formation within this area that might have given rise to the progenitor star of SGR 0501+4516. The dark points on the radio image are compact sources, the vast majority of which are believed to be extragalactic (Leahy & Roger 1996).