Supernova remnant W49B,composite image. Located 35 thousand light years away in the Aquila constellation,this image shows an intense X-ray source (blue),surrounded by infrared rings (red and green). The X-ray source is 15 million degree Celsius gas comprised of iron and nickel ions,whereas the infrared sources are mainly hydrogen molecules. It is believed these formations are the aftermath of a massive star which shone for a few million years,spinning off rings of gas. Eventually losing most of its fuel it collapsed to form a black hole,ejecting material rich in iron and nickel. This material hit the cloud surrounding the star,flaring out and creating a shockwave. Chandra and Palomar space telescopes | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / NASA |
Taille de l’image : | 2400 px × 2388 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |