X-ray Images of MSH 15-52 (IMAGE)
Caption
Astronomers estimate that light from the supernova explosion reached Earth about 1,700 years ago, or when the Mayan empire was flourishing and the Jin dynasty ruled China. However, by cosmic standards the supernova remnant formed by the explosion, called MSH 15-52, is one of the youngest in the Milky Way galaxy. The explosion also created an ultra-dense, magnetized star called a pulsar, which then blew a bubble of energetic particles, an X-ray-emitting nebula detected by Chandra. Since the explosion the supernova remnant -- made of debris from the shattered star, plus the explosion's blast wave -- and the X-ray nebula have been changing as they expand outward into space. Notably, the supernova remnant and X-ray nebula now resemble the shape of fingers and a palm.
Credit
NASA/SAO/NCSU/Borkowski et al.
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