Chandra Release - April 18, 2024

Visual Description: Cassiopeia A & Crab Nebula Timelapses


This is a still image from a split-screen video showing the change of two objects in space over time. The Cassiopeia A supernova remnant is on the left and the Crab Nebula is on the right, divided by a white vertical line.

Cassiopeia A resembles a disk of electric blue light with glowing white streaks. X-rays from Chandra reveal hot gas, mostly from supernova debris from the destroyed star, and include elements like silicon and iron. Brilliant stars in white and gold, seen in optical light from Hubble, permeate the field of view.

The Crab Nebula resembles the shape of a spinning toy top, made of white wispy clouds, resting on its side. The top-like shape is outlined by feathery shrouds of electric blue light. In the center, where the point of the toy top shape meets its flared body, is a ball of brilliant white light. This is the pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star, at the heart of the Crab Nebula. Concentric circles surround the pulsar, as if the pulsar was a small pebble that was dropped into a puddle of water. From the bottom of the neutron star, a jet of matter is rushing downward, like scalding hot steam being released from a valve.