Neutron Star Undergoes Wild Behavior Changes

Chandra_551_1024

chandra_551 September 26th, 2013

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/ICE/A.Papitto et al

These two images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show a large change in X-ray brightness of a rapidly rotating neutron star, or pulsar, between 2006 and 2013. The neutron star - the extremely dense remnant left behind by a supernova - is in a tight orbit around a low mass star. New observations with both X-ray and radio telescopes of IGR J18245-2452 provide important information about the evolution of pulsars in binary systems.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2013/igr/

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
IGR J18245-2452
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Neutron Star

Distance Details Distance

Universescale1
18,000 light years
Chandra_551_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 18h 24m 32.4s
DEC = -24° 52’ 20.1”
Orientation
North is 0.5° CCW
Field of View
1.2 x 1.2 arcminutes
Constellation
Sagittarius

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (HRC) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Spectrum_xray1
Blue
Chandra_551_1280
×
ID
551
Subject Category
B.3.1.9  
Subject Name
IGR J18245-2452
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/ICE/A.Papitto et al
Release Date
2013-09-26
Lightyears
18,000
Redshift
18,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2013/igr/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
HRC
Color Assignment
Blue
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.8267
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
276.1351501, -24.8722607
Reference Dimension
3600.0, 3600.0
Reference Pixel
1801.0, 1801.0
Scale
5.681e-06, 5.6810017e-06
Rotation
0.45
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
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 Observatory Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
igr.tif
Resource URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2013/igr/igr.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2013-09-27
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
18,000 light years

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