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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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The Cry of Cassiopeia A
Title
The Cry of Cassiopeia A
Title
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Description:
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This animation begins with a stunning false-color picture of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. It is made up of images taken by three of NASA's Great Observatories, using three different wavebands of light. Infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope are colored red; visible data from the Hubble Space Telescope are yellow; and X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are green and blue.
Located 10,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, 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. The neutron star can be seen in the Chandra data as a sharp turquoise dot in the center of the shimmering shell.
The movie then pans out to show a Spitzer view of Cassiopeia A (yellow ball) and surrounding clouds of dust (reddish orange). Here, the animation flips back and forth between two Spitzer images taken one year apart. A blast of light from Cassiopeia A is seen waltzing through the dusty skies. Called an "infrared echo," this dance began when the remnant's dead star erupted, or "turned in its grave," about 50 years ago.
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 earlier Spitzer image was taken on November 30, 2003, and the later, on December 2, 2004.
Description
This animation begins with a stunning false-color picture of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. It is made up of images taken by three of NASA's Great Observatories, using three different wavebands of light. Infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope are colored red; visible data from the Hubble Space Telescope are yellow; and X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are green and blue.
Located 10,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, 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. The neutron star can be seen in the Chandra data as a sharp turquoise dot in the center of the shimmering shell.
The movie then pans out to show a Spitzer view of Cassiopeia A (yellow ball) and surrounding clouds of dust (reddish orange). Here, the animation flips back and forth between two Spitzer images taken one year apart. A blast of light from Cassiopeia A is seen waltzing through the dusty skies. Called an "infrared echo," this dance began when the remnant's dead star erupted, or "turned in its grave," about 50 years ago.
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 earlier Spitzer image was taken on November 30, 2003, and the later, 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/R. Hurt (SSC)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)
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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20 November 2003 & 2 December 2004
Exposure_Date
20 November 2003 & 2 December 2004
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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80 sec per sky position
Exposure_Time
80 sec per sky position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 86 deg CCW from up
Orientation
North is 86 deg CCW from up
Orientation
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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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_what:
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Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)
facet_what
Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)
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_where:
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Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
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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December 2004
facet_when
December 2004
facet_when
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facet_when:
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20 November 2003
facet_when
20 November 2003
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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ssc2005-14v1
Image_#
ssc2005-14v1
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 v1
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-14 v1
UID
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