Chandra Release - January 10, 2001

Visual Description: G11.2-0.3

Supernova remnant G11.2-0.3 is the subject of this X-ray astronomical image. The image shows a bright elongated shape in the center, surrounded by various colors and shapes.  Overall the remnant looks like an oddly shaped bicycle wheel missing most of its spokes.  This supernova remnant is located in the Milky Way, about 16,000 light years from Earth. The bright blue shape in the center represents the pulsar that formed as a result of the supernova explosion that created the remnant. Surrounding the pulsar, there is a full “wheel spoke” and the oddly shaped “bicycle wheel”, which represent the debris left over from the supernova explosion. These remnants consist of gas, dust, and other materials that were once part of a massive star before it exploded. Chandra provides very strong evidence that the pulsar was formed in the supernova of 386 AD, which was witnessed by Chinese astronomers. Determining the true ages of astronomical objects is notoriously difficult, and for this reason, historical records of supernovas are of great importance.