Images by Date
Images by Category
Solar System
Stars
Exoplanets
White Dwarfs
Supernovas
Neutron Stars
Black Holes
Milky Way Galaxy
Normal Galaxies
Quasars
Galaxy Clusters
Cosmology/Deep Field
Miscellaneous
Images by Interest
Space Scoop for Kids
Multiwavelength
Sky Map
Constellations
Photo Blog
Top Rated Images
Image Handouts
Desktops
Fits Files
Visual descriptions
Image Tutorials
Photo Album Tutorial
False Color
Cosmic Distance
Look-Back Time
Scale & Distance
Angular Measurement
Images & Processing
AVM/Metadata
Image Use Policy
Web Shortcuts
Chandra Blog
RSS Feed
Image Use Policy
Questions & Answers
Glossary of Terms
Puppis A: An X-ray Tapestry
Visual Description:

  • Puppis A is a supernova remnant located about 7,000 light years from Earth.

  • This new image includes data from Chandra and XMM-Newton and is the most complete and detailed X-ray view of Puppis A to date.

  • The combined dataset reveals a delicate tapestry of X-ray light left behind by the supernova explosion.

The destructive results of a powerful supernova explosion reveal themselves in a delicate tapestry of X-ray light, as seen in this image from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton.

The image shows the remains of a supernova that would have been witnessed on Earth about 3,700 years ago. The remnant is called Puppis A, and is around 7,000 light years away and about 100 light years across. This image provides the most complete and detailed X-ray view of Puppis A ever obtained, made by combining a mosaic of different Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. Low-energy X-rays are shown in red, medium-energy X-rays are in green and high energy X-rays are colored blue.

These observations act as a probe of the gas surrounding Puppis A, known as the interstellar medium. The complex appearance of the remnant shows that Puppis A is expanding into an interstellar medium that probably has a knotty structure.

Supernova explosions forge the heavy elements that can provide the raw material from which future generations of stars and planets will form. Studying how supernova remnants expand into the galaxy and interact with other material provides critical clues into our own origins.

A paper describing these results was published in the July 2013 issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is available online. The first author is Gloria Dubner from the Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, DC. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, controls Chandra's science and flight operations.

Visual Description:

The X-ray image of the supernova remnant Puppis A displays a vibrant and intricate cosmic structure. The center of the image is dominated by a large, irregularly shaped object, which appears to be made up of several smaller, interconnected pieces. The color palette of the image is predominantly blue and pale gold, with occasional flashes of dark orange and light green. The overall shape of the remnant resembles that of a right-hand punching glove with the fist striking out towards the viewer's perspective. The remnant floats on a solid black background. The image shows the remains of a star that exploded and that would have been witnessed on Earth about 3,700 years ago. This image provides the most complete and detailed X-ray view of Puppis A ever obtained at the time, made by combining a mosaic of different Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton observations. Low-energy X-rays are colored in red, medium-energy X-rays are in green and high energy X-rays are colored blue. These observations act as a probe of the gas surrounding Puppis A, known as the interstellar medium. The complex appearance of the remnant shows that Puppis A is expanding into an interstellar medium that probably has a knotty structure.

 

Fast Facts for Puppis A:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/IAFE/G.Dubner et al & ESA/XMM-Newton
Release Date  September 10, 2014
Scale  Image is about 1.5 degrees across (About 180 light years)
Category  Supernovas & Supernova Remnants
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 08h 23m 08.16s | Dec -42° 41´ 41.40"
Constellation  Puppis
Observation Date  9 pointings between January 2000 and November 2010
Observation Time  44 hours 45 min (1 day 20 hours 45 min).
Obs. ID  750, 1949-1951, 5564, 6371, 12548, 13183
Instrument  ACIS
References Dubner, G. et al, 2013, A&A, 555; arXiv:1305.1275; Arendt, R. et al, 2010, ApJ 725:585
Color Code  X-ray (Red, Green, Blue)
X-ray
Distance Estimate  About 7,000 light years
distance arrow
Rate This Image

  • Currently 3.82/5
Rating: 3.8/5
(1151 votes cast)
Download & Share

Desktops

1024x768 - 296.6 kb
1280x1024 - 408.2 kb
1680x1050 - 391.5 kb
More Information
Blog: Puppis A
More Images
X-ray & Infrared Image of Puppis A
Jpg, Tif
X-ray

More Images
Animation & Video
Tour of Puppis A
animation

More Animations
More Releases
Puppis A
Puppis A
(15 Feb 06)

Related Images
SN 2006gy
SN 1006
(17 Apr 13)

Supernova 1987A
Kepler's SNR
(18 Mar 13)

Tycho's SNR
Tycho's SNR
(26 Apr 11)


Related Information
Related Podcast
Top Rated Images
RACS J0320-35
  • Currently 4.39/5
MSH 15-52
  • Currently 4.18/5
Cassiopeia A
  • Currently 4.07/5



FaceBookTwitterYouTubeFlickr