Chandra Discovers X-Ray Ring Around Cosmic Powerhouse in Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a supernova explosion that was seen on Earth in 1054 AD. It is 6000 light years from Earth. At the center of the bright nebula is a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar that emits pulses of radiation 30 times a second.
Multi-wavelength Images: (*Images not to
scale) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
X-ray![]() Jpg (133 k) Tiff (3.9 MB) PS (3.4 MB) |
Optical![]() Jpg (93 k) Tif (3.6 MB) PS (495 k) |
Infrared![]() Jpg (231 k) Tif (18.7 MB) PS (3.5 MB) |
Radio![]() Jpg (42 k) Tif (1.7 MB) PS (3.6 MB) |
|
The X-ray image of the supernova remnant and pulsar Crab Nebula showcases a bright purple and white irregular bell-shaped object against a solid black background. The texture of the object appears to be somewhat grainy or speckled, giving it a slightly mottled appearance. There is a tiny bright white source at the center with a slight spiral disk-like appearance around it, and a jet and some protrusions. Chandra's X-ray image of the Crab Nebula directly traces the most energetic particles being produced by the pulsar. This amazing image reveals an unprecedented level of detail about the highly energetic particle winds and will allow scientists to probe deep into the dynamics of this cosmic powerhouse.