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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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Lighting up a Dead Star's Layers
Title
Lighting up a Dead Star's Layers
Title
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Description:
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This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the scattered remains of an exploded star named Cassiopeia A. Spitzer's infrared detectors "picked" through these remains and found that much of the star's original layering had been preserved.
In this false-color image, the faint, blue glow surrounding the dead star is material that was energized by a shock wave, called the forward shock, which was created when the star blew up. The forward shock is now located at the outer edge of the blue glow. Stars are also seen in blue. Green, yellow and red primarily represent material that was ejected in the explosion and heated by a slower shock wave, called the reverse shock wave.
The picture was taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera and is a composite of 3.6-micron light (blue); 4.5-micron light (green); and 8.0-micron light (red).
Description
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the scattered remains of an exploded star named Cassiopeia A. Spitzer's infrared detectors "picked" through these remains and found that much of the star's original layering had been preserved.
In this false-color image, the faint, blue glow surrounding the dead star is material that was energized by a shock wave, called the forward shock, which was created when the star blew up. The forward shock is now located at the outer edge of the blue glow. Stars are also seen in blue. Green, yellow and red primarily represent material that was ejected in the explosion and heated by a slower shock wave, called the reverse shock wave.
The picture was taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera and is a composite of 3.6-micron light (blue); 4.5-micron light (green); and 8.0-micron light (red).
Description
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Release Date:
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2006/10/26
Release_Date
2006/10/26
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/L. Rudnick (Univ. of Minn.)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Rudnick (Univ. of Minn.)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Rudnick (Univ. of Minn.)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Rudnick (Univ. of Minn.)
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 name:
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Cas A
Object_name
Cas 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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3.6-micron light (blue); 4.5-micron light (green); and 8.0-micron light (red)
Wavelength
3.6-micron light (blue); 4.5-micron light (green); and 8.0-micron light (red)
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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8.2 x 8.2 arcminutes
Image_scale
8.2 x 8.2 arcminutes
Image scale
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Observers:
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Lawrence Rudnick (University of Minnesota)
Jessica A. Ennis (University of Minnesota)
William T. Reach (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
J. D. Smith (Steward Observatory/ University of Arizona)
Jeonghee Rho (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
Tracey DeLaney (Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Haley Gomez (School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wales)
Takashi Kozasa (Hokkaido University, Japan)
Observers
Lawrence Rudnick (University of Minnesota)
Jessica A. Ennis (University of Minnesota)
William T. Reach (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
J. D. Smith (Steward Observatory/ University of Arizona)
Jeonghee Rho (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
Tracey DeLaney (Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Haley Gomez (School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wales)
Takashi Kozasa (Hokkaido University, Japan)
Observers
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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 35.5 deg counter-clockwise from up
Orientation
North is 35.5 deg counter-clockwise 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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Cassiopeia
facet_what
Cassiopeia
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Minnesota
facet_where
Minnesota
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Japan
facet_where
Japan
facet_where
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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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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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ssc2006-19a
Image_#
ssc2006-19a
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-ssc2006-19 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2006-19 a
UID
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