The Case of the Neutron Star With a Wayward Wake

Chandra_323_1024

chandra_323 June 1st, 2006

Credit: Chandra X-ray: NASA/CXC/B.Gaensler et al; ROSAT X-ray: NASA/ROSAT/Asaoka & Aschenbach; Radio Wide: NRC/DRAO/D.Leahy; Radio Detail: NRAO/VLA; Optical: DSS

This wide-field composite image was made with X-ray (blue/ROSAT & Chandra), radio (green/Very Large Array), and optical (red/Digitized Sky Survey) observations of the supernova remnant, IC 443. The pullout, also a composite with a Chandra X-ray close-up, shows a neutron star that is spewing out a comet-like wake of high-energy particles as it races through space. Based on an analysis of the swept-back shape of the wake, astronomers deduced that the neutron star is located in the multimillion degree Celsius gas in the remnant. The direction of the wake is puzzling since it should point back toward the center of the remnant. A possible explanation is that it is being pushed aside by fast-moving gusts of gas in the remnant, much like cometary tails are pushed away by the solar wind.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/ic443/

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

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

View Options

Image Details

Image Type
Collage
Object Name
J0617 in IC 443
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Neutron Star
Nebula > Type > Supernova Remnant

Distance

Universescale1
5,000 light years
Chandra_323_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 6h 18m 2.8s
DEC = 22° 39’ 36.3”
Orientation
North is 0.1° CW
Field of View
49.4 x 49.4 arcminutes
Constellation
Gemini

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red DSS (DSS2R) Optical (R-band) 670.0 nm
Green VLA (VLA) Radio (1.4GHz) 210.0 mm
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Blue ROSAT (PSPC) X-ray (X-ray) -
observation data refers to wide field image
Spectrum_xray2w
Red
Green
Blue
Chandra_323_1280
×
ID
323
Subject Category
B.3.1.9   B.4.1.4  
Subject Name
J0617 in IC 443
Credits
Chandra X-ray: NASA/CXC/B.Gaensler et al; ROSAT X-ray: NASA/ROSAT/Asaoka & Aschenbach; Radio Wide: NRC/DRAO/D.Leahy; Radio Detail: NRAO/VLA; Optical: DSS
Release Date
2006-06-01
Lightyears
5,000
Redshift
5,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/ic443/
Type
Collage
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
DSS, VLA, Chandra, ROSAT
Instrument
DSS2R, VLA, ACIS, PSPC
Color Assignment
Red, Green, Blue, Blue
Band
Optical, Radio, X-ray, X-ray
Bandpass
R-band, 1.4GHz, X-ray, X-ray
Central Wavelength
670, 2.1e8, 0.8267, -
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
-, -, 5531, -
Notes
o
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
94.51150600000, 22.66007300000
Reference Dimension
2400.00, 2400.00
Reference Pixel
671.61641694050, 1521.08464463357
Scale
-0.00034317777, 0.00034317777
Rotation
-0.14337644688
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.0 revision 213+ by the Chandra X-ray Center
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
ic443.tif
Metadata Date
2013-09-20T10:41:03-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
5,000 light years

Providers | Sign In