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Credit & Copyright: J-P Metsavainio
(Astro Anarchy)
Explanation:
The ghost of
a long-dead star,
the W63 supernova remnant shines
like a faint cosmic smoke-ring along the plane of the Milky Way
galaxy toward the northern
constellation Cygnus the swan.
Its wraithlike appearance is traced against the
region's rich complex of interstellar
clouds and dust by an eerie blue glow.
Spanning over four full moons on the sky,
the beautiful image
is a telescopic mosaic in twelve panels
that combines 100 hours of exposure time using narrow band filters.
It shows characteristic light from ionized atoms of sulfur, hydrogen and
oxygen in red, green, and blue hues.
Likely over 5,000 light-years away, the visible part of the
still expanding
shell supernova remnant is around 150 light-years in diameter.
So far no source has been identified as with
the remains
of W63's original star.
Light from the star's
supernova
explosion would have reached Earth over 15,000 years
ago.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: supernova remnant
Publications with words: supernova remnant
See also:
- Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
- APOD: 2025 January 8 Á Supernova Remnants Big and Small
- APOD: 2024 September 18 Á The Mermaid Nebula Supernova Remnant
- APOD: 2024 April 16 Á Filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant
- APOD: 2024 April 3 Á Unusual Nebula Pa 30
- APOD: 2024 March 25 Á Sonified: The Jellyfish Nebula Supernova Remnant
- APOD: 2024 February 27 Á Supernova Remnant Simeis 147