Chandra Release - December 12, 2017

Visual Description: Cassiopeia A

In the Chandra X-ray image of Cassiopeia A, the remnant of a massive star's explosion appears as a roughly circular shell glowing with vivid colors. Bright streaks and filaments of red, yellow, green, purple and blue swirl through the remnant-each color mapping different elements left over from the supernova: silicon (red), sulfur (yellow), calcium (green), iron (purple), while the energetic, high-energy blast wave is shown in blue outlining the outer edge. This outermost rim forms a jagged, electric-blue boundary, marking the shock front expanding away from the center. Deep inside, the structure is mottled and uneven-gaps, bright knots, and lumpy layers betray the turbulent interior of the disrupted star. The remnant is set against a stark black background.