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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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A Year in the Life of an Infrared Echo
Title
A Year in the Life of an Infrared Echo
Title
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Description:
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These Spitzer Space Telescope images, taken one year apart, show the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (yellow ball) and surrounding clouds of dust (reddish orange). The pictures illustrate that a blast of light from Cassiopeia A is waltzing outward through the dusty skies. This dance, called an "infrared echo," began when the remnant erupted about 50 years ago.
Cassiopeia A is the remnant of a once massive star that died in a violent supernova explosion 325 years ago. It consists of a dead star, called a neutron star, and a surrounding shell of material that was blasted off as the star died. This remnant is located 10,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Cassiopeia.
Infrared echoes are created when a star explodes or erupts, flashing light into surrounding clumps of dust. As the light zips through the dust clumps, it heats them up, causing them to glow successively in infrared, like a chain of Christmas bulbs lighting up one by one. The result is an optical illusion, in which the dust appears to be flying outward at the speed of light. Echoes are distinct from supernova shockwaves, which are made up material that is swept up and hurled outward by exploding stars.
This infrared echo is the largest ever seen, stretching more than 50 light-years away from Cassiopeia A. If viewed from Earth, the entire movie frame would take up the same amount of space as two full moons.
Hints of an older infrared echo from Cassiopeia A's supernova explosion hundreds of years ago can also be seen.
The top Spitzer image was taken on November 30, 2003, and the bottom, on December 2, 2004.
Description
These Spitzer Space Telescope images, taken one year apart, show the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (yellow ball) and surrounding clouds of dust (reddish orange). The pictures illustrate that a blast of light from Cassiopeia A is waltzing outward through the dusty skies. This dance, called an "infrared echo," began when the remnant erupted about 50 years ago.
Cassiopeia A is the remnant of a once massive star that died in a violent supernova explosion 325 years ago. It consists of a dead star, called a neutron star, and a surrounding shell of material that was blasted off as the star died. This remnant is located 10,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Cassiopeia.
Infrared echoes are created when a star explodes or erupts, flashing light into surrounding clumps of dust. As the light zips through the dust clumps, it heats them up, causing them to glow successively in infrared, like a chain of Christmas bulbs lighting up one by one. The result is an optical illusion, in which the dust appears to be flying outward at the speed of light. Echoes are distinct from supernova shockwaves, which are made up material that is swept up and hurled outward by exploding stars.
This infrared echo is the largest ever seen, stretching more than 50 light-years away from Cassiopeia A. If viewed from Earth, the entire movie frame would take up the same amount of space as two full moons.
Hints of an older infrared echo from Cassiopeia A's supernova explosion hundreds of years ago can also be seen.
The top Spitzer image was taken on November 30, 2003, and the bottom, on December 2, 2004.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/06/09
Release_Date
2005/06/09
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/O. Krause (Steward Observatory)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/O. Krause (Steward Observatory)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA / JPL-Caltech / O. Krause (Steward Observatory)
Image_Credit
NASA / JPL-Caltech / O. Krause (Steward Observatory)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Cassiopeia A
Object_name
Cassiopeia A
Object name
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Object type:
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Supernova Remnant
Object_type
Supernova Remnant
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *23h23m24.00s *Dec: *58d48m0.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *23h23m24.00s *Dec: *58d48m0.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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11,000 light-years
Distance
11,000 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Cassiopeia
Constellation
Cassiopeia
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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24 microns
Wavelength
24 microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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55x12 arcmin
Image_scale
55x12 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Oliver Krause (Steward Observatory)
George H. Rieke (Steward Observatory)
Stephan M. Birkmann (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie)
Emeric Le Floc'h (Steward Observatory)
Karl D. Gordon (Steward Observatory)
Eiichi Egami (Steward Observatory)
John Bieging (Steward Observatory)
John P. Hughes (Rutgers University)
Erick Young (Steward Observatory)
Joannah L. Hinz (Steward Observatory)
Sascha P. Quanz (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie)
Dean C. Hines (Space Science Institute)
Observers
Oliver Krause (Steward Observatory)
George H. Rieke (Steward Observatory)
Stephan M. Birkmann (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie)
Emeric Le Floc'h (Steward Observatory)
Karl D. Gordon (Steward Observatory)
Eiichi Egami (Steward Observatory)
John Bieging (Steward Observatory)
John P. Hughes (Rutgers University)
Erick Young (Steward Observatory)
Joannah L. Hinz (Steward Observatory)
Sascha P. Quanz (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie)
Dean C. Hines (Space Science Institute)
Observers
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Instrument:
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MIPS
Instrument
MIPS
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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30 November 2003 & 2 December 2004
Exposure_Date
30 November 2003 & 2 December 2004
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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80 seconds per sky position
Exposure_Time
80 seconds per sky position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 86 degrees CCW from up
Orientation
North is 86 degrees CCW from up
Orientation
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MIPS
facet_what
MIPS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Planck
facet_what
Planck
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Cassiopeia
facet_what
Cassiopeia
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_when:
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November 30, 2003
facet_when
November 30, 2003
facet_when
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facet_when:
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December 2, 2004
facet_when
December 2, 2004
facet_when
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facet_when:
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30 November 2003
facet_when
30 November 2003
facet_when
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facet_when:
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December 2004
facet_when
December 2004
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2005-14a
Image_#
ssc2005-14a
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-14 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-14 a
UID
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