Chandra Release - April 20, 2023

Visual Description: Supernova X-ray Blast Wave  

This release features a suite of images, including artist's illustrations that tell the story of intense X-rays from exploded stars triggering extinction events on nearby planets.

In one illustration, labeled 'View When Supernova Occurs', a large Earth-like planet occupies the left half of the image. A brilliant, gleaming supernova appears in the distance at our upper right. Light from the planet's host star, out of view to the right, illuminates the blue oceans and largely green landmasses on one side of the Earth-like planet. White clouds dot the planet's thin atmosphere, but the colors beneath remain crisp and clear.

In a subsequent illustration, labeled 'View Decades After Supernova Occurs', the supernova at our upper right is now a smaller speck of light, encircled by a blast wave. The blast wave, which contains a lethal dose of X-rays, has a cottony white outer ring, and fiery orange inner ring. Both are streaked with fine lines emanating from the gleaming speck at the core. A fine blue haze surrounds the supernova and blast wave. On our left, the large Earth-like planet is no longer bright blue and green. The landmasses are now rendered in muted shades of brown and grey. Yellowed clouds dot the thin, hazy atmosphere, dulling the colors beneath, including the blues of the now murky oceans. These changes were caused by X-rays wiping out most of the planet's ozone layer. This caused an increase in ultraviolet radiation reaching the planet's surface and triggered an extinction event.

This illustration is the featured image in today's release, and is presented with and without annotation.