Tycho's Supernova Remnant in X-ray
Explanation:
How often do stars explode? By looking at external galaxies,
astronomers can guess that these events,
known as a supernovae, should occur about once every
30 years in a typical spiral galaxy
like our MilkyWay.
However, the obscuring gas and dust in the disk of our galaxy
probably prevents us from seeing many galactic supernovae -- making
observations of these events in our own galaxy relatively rare.
In fact,
in 1572, the revered
Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe,
witnessed one of the last to be seen.
The remnant of this explosion is still visible today as the
shockwave it generated continues to expand into
the gas and dust between the stars.
Above is an image of the X-rays emitted by this
shockwave made by a telescope onboard the
ROSAT spacecraft.
The nebula is known as Tycho's Supernova Remnant.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
