Impact! Chandra Images a Young Supernova Blast Wave

Chandra_207_1024

chandra_207 January 17th, 2000

Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/PSU/D.Burrows et al.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory image of SN 1987A made in January 2000 shows an expanding shell of hot gas produced by the supernova explosion. This observation and an earlier Chandra observation in October 1999 are the earliest X-ray images ever made of a shock wave following a supernova event. The colors represent different intensities of X-ray emission, with white being the brightest.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/sn1987a/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Supernova 1987A

Distance Details Distance

Universescale2
160,000 light years

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 5h 35m 28.3s
DEC = -69° 16’ 13.0”
Constellation
Dorado

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Orange Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
DatasetID is the Chandra Observation ID
Spectrum_xray1
Orange
Chandra_207_1280
×
ID
207
Subject Category
Subject Name
Supernova 1987A
Credits
NASA/CXC/SAO/PSU/D.Burrows et al.
Release Date
2000-01-17
Lightyears
160,000
Redshift
160,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/sn1987a/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
ACIS
Color Assignment
Orange
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.8267
Start Time
2000-01-17T15:39:19
Integration Time
8556
Dataset ID
122
Notes
D
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
83.8679170, -69.2702780
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden St.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-ray Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
sn1987a_xray.tif
Resource URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/sn1987a/sn1987a_xray.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2012-07-27T15:51:19-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
160,000 light years

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