Astronomy Picture of the Day 5-28-03

NASA ^ | 5-28-03 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2003 May 28

SNR 0103-72.6: Oxygen Supply
Credit: S.Park, D. Burrows (PSU) et al., Chandra Observatory, NASA

Explanation: A supernova explosion, a massive star's inevitable and spectacular demise, blasts back into space debris enriched in the heavy elements forged in its stellar core. Incorporated into future stars and planets, these are the elements ultimately necessary for life. Seen here in a false-color x-ray image, supernova remnant SNR 0103-72.6 is revealed to be just such an expanding debris cloud in neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud. Judging from the measured size of the expanding outer ring of shock-heated gas, about 150 light-years, light from the original supernova explosion would have first reached Earth about 10,000 years ago. Hundreds of supernova remnants have been identified as much sought after astronomical laboratories for studying the cycle of element synthesis and enrichment, but the x-ray data also show that the hot gas at the center of this particular supernova remnant is exceptionally rich in neon and oxygen.

[petuniasevan]

Supernova remnants are spectacular objects at short wavelengths. Click on the pics for the full-sized images:

Images

3C 58 neutron star - Chandra

Cas A - Chandra first light image

Chemical Segregation in Cas A - Chandra ACIS

Cas A - Chandra

Cat's Eye Nebula: NGC 6543 - HST/Chandra

The Crab Nebula -Einstein HRI images show the X-ray pulsar

Crab Nebula - ROSAT & Chandra

Crab Nebula - Chandra

Crab Nebula - Chandra, VLA, HST

CXOM31 J004327.7+411829 - Chandra

Cygnus Loop - ROSAT HRI & PSPC

Cygnus Loop - PSPC mosaic image and HRI mosaic

Cygnus Loop - HRI mosaic

DEM L71 - Chandra/Rutgers Fabry-Perot

E0102-72.3 - Chandra/HST/ATCA

E0102-72 - Chandra

G 11.2-0.3 - Chandra ACIS

G54.1+0.3 - Chandra

G54.1+0.3 - Chandra

G292.0+1.8 - Chandra

SN G320.4-1.2 - Chandra

IC443 - ASCA

IC443 Neutron Star - Chandra ACIS

Edge of N132D - Chandra

N132D - XMM-Newton EPIC

N132D - Chandra

N132D - Chandra

Early image of Puppis A - rocket-borne instrument (also ROSAT HRI)

Puppis A - ROSAT image with the neutron star discovery

ROSAT images of SNR

SN 1006 - ASCA

First X-rays from SN1987A - ROSAT PSPC

SN1987A - Chandra w/ HST contours

SN1987A - Optical, Radio & X-ray

SN 1993j(in M81) - ASCA

SN2002ap - XMM-Newton

Tycho and Cas A - Chandra

Tycho supernova remnant (SN 1572) - ROSAT HRI

Tycho in silicon, calcium, sulfur and iron - XMM-Newton

Vela - ROSAT PSPC

Vela SNR central region - ROSAT PSPC & Chandra

Above table and images courtesy of HEASARC (High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center)

[petuniasevan]

[farmfriend]

It's the entity on Startrek.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

LOL! "The Lights of Zetar" are back!!!

That episode was co-wriiten by Shari Lewis! I miss Lambchop...

[firewalk]

That's beautiful
Thanks for the ping

[RightWhale]

Ooh, the colors!

[MikeD]

Speaking of "Lights of Zetar:" Why is it that every time Scotty had a love interest she was either killed, possessed, or both?

Just curious.

MD

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Right you are - the dancer he was attracted to in "Wolf in the Fold" died pretty quickly. Although the gal in "Who Mourns for Adonis" managed to survive to the end of the episode unscathed. Ladies, stay away from Scotty!

[MikeD]

Yes, the WMfAdonis gal lived, but Scotty died in the episode. I forget -- did Apollo restore him to life? It's been too long since I've watched real Star Trek.

MD

[don-o]

Does anyone have a ping list for the Pic of the Day?

Please add me, if you do.

[sistergoldenhair]

Excellent images.
Thanks.

[petuniasevan]

Does anyone have a ping list for the Pic of the Day?

Yes, I do. You are now a proud member of the APOD ping list!

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

LOL! Yep, Scotty died or close to it.

I really need to get a life

[don-o]

Yes, I do. You are now a proud member of the APOD ping list!

Thanks. Got pinged today.

Really a fine thread to keep going. I may share it with my home schooler progeny.

[petuniasevan]

I really need to get a life

"Get a life!" - isn't that what Bill Shatner said to the Trekkie convention on that Saturday Night Live skit? And how about the "Restaurant Enterprise"? Classic comedy.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

LOL! That was classic stuff!