Dusty Dead Star

Spitzer_ssc2010-04a_1024

spitzer_ssc2010-04a March 29th, 2010

Credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

A composite image from NASA's Chandra (blue) and Spitzer (green and red-yellow) space telescopes shows the dusty remains of a collapsed star, a supernova remnant called G54.1+0.3. The white source at the center is a dead star called a pulsar, generating a wind of high-energy particles seen by Chandra in blue. The wind expands into the surrounding environment. The infrared shell that surrounds the pulsar wind, seen in red, is made up of gas and dust that condensed out of debris from the supernova explosion. A nearby cluster of stars is being engulfed by the dust.

The nature and quantity of dust produced in supernova explosions is a long-standing mystery, and G54.1+0.3 supplies an important piece to the puzzle.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3010-ssc2010-04a-Dusty-Dead-Star

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
G54.1+0.3
Spitzer_ssc2010-04a_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 19h 29m 26.2s
DEC = 18° 53’ 55.7”
Orientation
North is 61.4° CCW
Field of View
1.1 x 1.1 degrees
Constellation
Sagitta

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra X-ray -
Red Spitzer Infrared -
Yellow Spitzer Infrared -
Green Spitzer Infrared -
Spitzer_ssc2010-04a_1280
×
ID
ssc2010-04a
Subject Category
Subject Name
G54.1+0.3
Credits
NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
Release Date
2010-03-29
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3010-ssc2010-04a-Dusty-Dead-Star
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
Color Assignment
Blue, Red, Yellow, Green
Band
X-ray, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
2005-10-06T08:43
Integration Time
2.62000
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
292.359, 18.8988
Reference Dimension
3168, 3168
Reference Pixel
1584.498948, 1584.498948
Scale
-3.47222000000000e-04, 3.47222000000000e-04
Rotation
61.38201
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
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
ssc2010-04a.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-02
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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