Cosmic Ripples — image created with FITS Liberator

Noirlab_ann21013c_1024

noirlab_ann21013c March 18th, 2021

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAAcknowledgements: J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)  

This image was “liberated” with the FITS Liberator from the FITS file from the Gemini North telescope. It captures the heart of Messier 1, the Crab Nebula. Formed by a colossal supernova explosion in the year 1054, the Crab Nebula consists of the outer layers of a now-dead massive star strewn across a region of space roughly 10 light-years across. The ripple-like structures visible in this image emanate from the heart of the nebula, where a pulsar — the dense, quickly rotating remains of the supernova’s progenitor star — is unleashing a hail of charged particles into the surrounding gas. The boundary where these charged particles slow down and pile up creates the bright ripples shown here. These ripples then expand outward over the course of months, causing the Crab Nebula to resemble a pool of disturbed water on an unimaginably vast scale.

Provider: NOIRLab

Image Source: https://noirlab.edu/public/images/ann21013c/

Curator: NSF's NOIRLab, Tucson, AZ, USA

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
M1
Noirlab_ann21013c_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 5h 34m 31.5s
DEC = 22° 0’ 45.7”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
0.8 x 0.8 arcminutes
Constellation
Taurus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red Gemini-N (NIRI) Infrared (K) 2.2 µm
Blue Gemini-N (NIRI) Infrared (H2 1-0 S(1)) 2.1 µm
Green Gemini-N (NIRI) Infrared (Br-Gamma) 2.2 µm
Spectrum_base
Red
Blue
Green
Noirlab_ann21013c_1280
×
ID
ann21013c
Subject Category
Subject Name
M1
Credits
International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAAcknowledgements: J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)  
Release Date
2021-03-18T13:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://noirlab.edu/public/images/ann21013c/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Facility
Gemini North, Gemini North, Gemini North
Instrument
NIRI, NIRI, NIRI
Color Assignment
Red, Blue, Green
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
K, H2 1-0 S(1), Br-Gamma
Central Wavelength
2200, 2122, 2167
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
None, None, None
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
83.6313226357, 22.0126918698
Reference Dimension
2160.0, 2160.0
Reference Pixel
1080.0, 1080.0
Scale
-6.16112629522e-06, 6.16112629522e-06
Rotation
-0
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NSF's NOIRLab
URL
https://noirlab.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
950 North Cherry Ave.
City
Tucson
State/Province
AZ
Postal Code
85719
Country
USA
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
NSF's NOIRLab
Publisher ID
noirlab
Resource ID
ann21013c
Metadata Date
2021-03-18T12:13:03+01:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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