Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A
About This Image
Location: The constellation Cassiopeia
Distance from Earth: About 11,000 light-years
Image Size: 29 light-years across
Observatory: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Cassiopeia A is one of the closest and brightest supernova remnants to Earth, created by the explosion of a massive star. The different colors represent different elements within the material released by the supernova.
In addition, this explosion left behind:
- a leftover core, known as a neutron star.
- high-energy shockwaves that ripple through it.
Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO
Cassiopeia A Visual Description
Extended Visual Description
A colorful, roughly circular supernova remnant, named Cassiopeia A. The center of this remnant contains a white dot, which is a neutron star. The neutron star is surrounded by smoke-like filaments of different colors and densities that extend outward toward the edges of the image. The star is surrounded by thinner, blue, and orange filaments. These filaments also weave throughout the remnant in different concentrations with more of the blue filaments wrapping around the edges of the supernova remnant, and orange filaments shooting out of the remnant toward the top left. In the bottom left, there is a dense field of purple gas. Between the star and edges of the remnant are a dense mix of orange, green, and purple filaments that create a clumpy ring-like shape.
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