A Supernova's Shockwaves: N132D

Spitzer_sig07-010_1024

spitzer_sig07-010 June 11th, 2007

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Tappe and J. Rho (SSC-Caltech); NASA/CXC/SAO

Supernovae are the explosive deaths of the universe's most massive stars. In death, these volatile creatures blast tons of energetic waves into the cosmos, destroying much of the dust surrounding them.

This false-color composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows the remnant of one such explosion. The remnant, called N132D, is the wispy pink shell of gas at the center of this image. The pinkish color reveals a clash between the explosion's high-energy shockwaves and surrounding dust grains.

In the background, small organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are shown as tints of green. The blue spots represent stars in our galaxy along this line of sight.

N132D is located 163,000 light-years away in a neighboring galaxy called, the Large Magellanic Cloud.

In this image, infrared light at 4.5 microns is mapped to blue, 8.0 microns to green and 24 microns to red. Broadband X-ray light is mapped purple. The infrared data were taken by Spitzer's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS), while the X-ray data were captured by Chandra.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2124-sig07-010-A-Supernova-s-Shockwaves-N132D

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
LMC N132D
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Type > Supernova Remnant
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Supernova

Distance

Universescale2
163,000 light years
Spitzer_sig07-010_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 5h 25m 2.6s
DEC = -69° 38’ 41.9”
Orientation
North is 23.8° CCW
Field of View
7.6 x 5.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Dorado

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Purple Chandra (Chandra) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 24.0 µm
Spectrum_xray1
Purple
Blue
Green
Red
Spitzer_sig07-010_1280
×
ID
sig07-010
Subject Category
B.4.1.4   B.3.1.8  
Subject Name
LMC, N132D
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Tappe and J. Rho (SSC-Caltech); NASA/CXC/SAO
Release Date
2007-06-11
Lightyears
163,000
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2124-sig07-010-A-Supernova-s-Shockwaves-N132D
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance taken from Fast Facts.
Facility
Chandra, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
Chandra, IRAC, IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Purple, Blue, Green, Red
Band
X-ray, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
X-ray, Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
0.8267, 4500, 8000, 24000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
81.2608744, -69.6449750
Reference Dimension
1806.0, 1200.0
Reference Pixel
904.0, 601.0
Scale
6.99883e-05, 6.99883e-05
Rotation
23.8
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig07-010.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-06
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
163,000 light years

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