Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - Recycling Cassiopeia A
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 23 Jan, 2021 | Image Credit: X-ray - NASA, CXC, SAO; Optical - NASA,STScI

Posted on 01/23/2021 1:40:07 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Massive stars in our Milky Way Galaxy live spectacular lives. Collapsing from vast cosmic clouds, their nuclear furnaces ignite and create heavy elements in their cores. After a few million years, the enriched material is blasted back into interstellar space where star formation can begin anew. The expanding debris cloud known as Cassiopeia A is an example of this final phase of the stellar life cycle. Light from the explosion which created this supernova remnant would have been first seen in planet Earth's sky about 350 years ago, although it took that light about 11,000 years to reach us. This false-color image, composed of X-ray and optical image data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, shows the still hot filaments and knots in the remnant. It spans about 30 light-years at the estimated distance of Cassiopeia A. High-energy X-ray emission from specific elements has been color coded, silicon in red, sulfur in yellow, calcium in green and iron in purple, to help astronomers explore the recycling of our galaxy's star stuff. Still expanding, the outer blast wave is seen in blue hues. The bright speck near the center is a neutron star, the incredibly dense, collapsed remains of the massive stellar core.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: falsecolor; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom by moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.

1 posted on 01/23/2021 1:40:07 PM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 01/23/2021 1:40:28 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber; 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; America_Right; Art in Idaho; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌


3 posted on 01/23/2021 1:40:58 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Cassiopeia, wife of King Cepheus, mother of Andromeda.

The constellation Andromeda can be seen with the naked eye if you’re far enough away from any light pollution.


4 posted on 01/23/2021 1:49:49 PM PST by jmacusa (If we're all equal how is diversity our strength?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Astronomer John Flamsteed may have spotted it — there’s some dispute — in the late 1600’s. He is also known for spotting Uranus and mistaking it for a star.


5 posted on 01/23/2021 2:16:46 PM PST by Buttons12 ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Nice photo of God’s Creation.
Love it,
Except the part where they mention Star Formation.
That is complete B.S.
No one has ever seen a star forming, No One....


6 posted on 01/23/2021 2:38:48 PM PST by Pez149 (Time to stop saying a theory is fact....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I would say you need some serious warp speed and a lot of photon torpedoes to get through THAT thing!

Just beautiful, as always. :)


7 posted on 01/23/2021 2:39:21 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Never thanked you but I will now. These space pictures are always beautiful and interesting.


8 posted on 01/23/2021 3:31:21 PM PST by Captain Compassion (I'm just sayin')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber
Re: "Collapsing from vast cosmic clouds, their nuclear furnaces ignite and create heavy elements in their cores."

I thought heavy elements were created by the massive super nova explosion?

I thought iron was the heaviest element that can be created by normal nuclear fusion inside a star?

9 posted on 01/23/2021 5:37:20 PM PST by zeestephen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

You are correct. I would not consider iron to be heavy. Maybe they really meant heavier???


10 posted on 01/23/2021 6:31:35 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

You are correct. I would not consider iron to be heavy. Maybe they really meant heavier???


11 posted on 01/23/2021 6:31:35 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

Iron has the most stable nucleus.


12 posted on 01/23/2021 7:56:56 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Pez149

No one?

God has. Satan (unfortunately) has.

Humans are far too ephemeral to observe any one of such events from beginning to end. Heck, any single one of us is far too short lived to witness more than a tiny slice of the formation of a limestone stalactite or stalagmite, and that’s a quickie in the grand scheme of things.

In either case, however, we most certainly CAN and have observed those “tiny slices” of formation, in many examples of many stages. For instance:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/multi-wavelength-views-of-protostars-in-ic-1396/


13 posted on 01/23/2021 8:22:19 PM PST by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Paul R.

14 posted on 01/23/2021 8:33:53 PM PST by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Casseopeia is a convenient and massive producer of microwave energy. It makes a very convenient target for ground station antenna calibration and measurement.

There are equations for calculating the flux vs. frequency. It can be a strong enough signal to track on.


15 posted on 01/23/2021 9:35:59 PM PST by doorgunner69 ("Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.." -Joseph Stalin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson