Vela Supernova Remnant
Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Posted on 03/06/2008 1:31:40 PM PST by sig226
Explanation: The plane of our Milky Way Galaxy runs through this complex and beautiful skyscape. At the northwestern edge of the constellation Vela (the Sails) the 16 degree wide, 30 frame mosaic is centered on the glowing filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant, the expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a massive star. Light from the supernova explosion that created the Vela remnant reached Earth about 11,000 years ago. In addition to the shocked filaments of glowing gas, the cosmic catastrophe also left behind an incredibly dense, rotating stellar core, the Vela Pulsar. Some 800 light-years distant, the Vela remnant is likely embedded in a larger and older supernova remnant, the Gum Nebula. The broad mosaic includes other identified emission and reflection nebulae, star clusters, and the remarkable Pencil Nebula.
Gorgeous!
God is quite the painter.
I just love watching the HD Discovery & National Geographic channels.
Sooooo beautiful!
#WHISPER_MODE ON
Well, God works the shapes, but actually it is some people at the imaging team that decide what the colors are. They map spectral emissions from the telescope reading into colors for the picture, and they do a good job picking pretty ones.
Shhh, it's a little known non-secret.
#WHISPER MODE OFF
God gave the imaging team the ability to decipher his complex mathematical laws to paint his black and white picture with their choice of color.
Reality mode always on.
I think it's worth pointing out that folks are missing out on a lot of cool stuff if they're not going to the original APOD site and checking out the links on every APOD post.
beautiful
I think I see Homer Simpson’s head in that photo. (He’s looking to the right, his eye is the black circle.)
We’ll have to go to the IAU and ask them to rename it the D’OH Supernova.
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