|
|
|
|
Cassiopeia A (Cas A), the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way galaxy, has been observed with unprecedented precision over the 5 year lifetime of the Chandra Observatory. From one of the first observations in 1999 to a million second long observation in 2004, Chandra images have been instrumental in unlocking the mysteries of this recent stellar explosion.
Chandra's spectacular first image of Cas A in 1999 showed a hot point-like source close to the center of the remnant. This extremely compact object, thought to be a neutron star or black hole, had never been seen in any wavelength. In addition, the shell of material surrounding the central source was in clearer focus than ever before, displaying dense knots, complex filamentary structures, and a jet of material protruding out of the shell.
Chandra observations in 2000 yielded the best map to date of the heavy elements that were ejected in the supernova blast. Separate iron, silicon, and calcium images gave important clues as to the nature of the explosion and the state of the star prior to explosion. The jet in the northeastern corner, which seems to give Cas A the shape of a fish, was seen to be made predominantly of silicon ions.
The longest observation ever taken of Cas A was completed in 2004. The image clearly shows a counterjet in the southwest corner of the remnant which was found to have a similar composition to the northeastern jet, suggesting that the explosion which created Cas A had 2 jets of ejected material, possibly expelled from the poles of magnetic fields.
Five years of Chandra observations have yielded many discoveries of the nature of Cas A and many beautiful images. Venture onward to view the gallery and to learn more about this exciting young supernova remnant.
|
Explore Chandra's Views of Cassiopeia A:
|
2004 |
Deepest Image of Exploded Star Uncovers Bipolar Jets
|
|
The spectacular NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory image of Cassiopeia A released today has nearly 200 times more data than the "First Light" Chandra image of this object made five years ago. The new image reveals clues that the initial explosion was far more complicated than suspected.
|
|
Observation
Dates
|
9 obs. in 2004: Feb 8, Apr 14, 18, 20, 22, 25 28, May 1, 5 |
|
Observation
Time
|
11 days, 14 hours |
| Release
Date |
August 23, 2004 |
|
|
2002 |
Chandra's Celestial Fireworks
|
|
In 1999, NASA released an image of Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant revealed in never-before-seen X-ray detail. The Chandra image of Cas A, showing remarkable structure in the debris of a gigantic stellar explosion, as well as an enigmatic source in the center, ushered in a new era of X-ray astronomy. This image was produced from the archives to celebrate the anniversary of Chandra's first light.
|
|
Observation
Date
|
January 30, 2000 |
|
Observation
Time
|
13.9 hours |
| Release
Date |
August 19, 2002 |
|
|
2000 |
|
Elemental Image Of Exploded Star
|
|
A 14 hour Chandra observation of Cassiopeia A has given the best map yet of heavy elements ejected in a supernova explosion. The images (showing X-rays from silicon, calcium, and iron ions) are designed to show the distribution of some of the elements ejected in the explosion that produced Cas A. These maps support the suggestion that the layers of the star were overturned either before or during the explosion.
|
|
Observation
Date
|
January 30, 2000 |
|
Observation
Time
|
13.9 hours |
| Release
Date |
June 27, 2000 |
|
|
1999 |
|
Chandra Maps Vital Elements in Supernovas
|
|
A team of astronomers used observations from Chandra to make an important new discovery that sheds light on elements were produced in supernova explosions. The image of Cassiopeia A reveals gaseous clumps of silicon, sulfur, and iron expelled from deep in the interior of the star. Not only could the astronomers determine the composition of many knots in the remnant from the Chandra data, they were also able to infer where in the exploding star the knots had originated.
|
|
Observation
Date
|
August 19, 1999 |
|
Observation
Time
|
1.7 hours |
| Release
Date |
December 21, 1999 |
|
First Light
August 1999 |
|
NASA Unveils First Images From Chandra X-Ray Observatory
|
|
Extraordinary first images from Chandra trace the aftermath of a gigantic stellar explosion in such stunning detail that scientists can see evidence of what may be a neutron star or black hole near the center. "We see the collision of the debris from the exploded star with the matter around it, we see shock waves rushing into interstellar space at millions of miles per hour, and, as a real bonus, we see for the first time a tantalizing bright point near the center of the remnant that could possibly be a collapsed star associated with the outburst." - Harvey Tananbaum, Director, Chandra X-ray Center.
|
|
Observation
Date
|
August 19, 1999 |
|
Observation
Time
|
1.4 hours |
| Release
Date |
August 26, 1999 |
|
Additional Resources on Cassiopeia A & Supernova Remnants:
- Photo Album:
- Educational Materials:
Information on SNRs & Pulsars:
|
