NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captures stunning image of a powerful blast wave from a star that died from Earth in 2,400 light-years
- NASA has shared an image of the remnants of a supernova blast wave taken by Hubble
- What appears in the image is the very outer edge of a giant supernova blast wave
- It happened about 20,000 years ago and is about 2,400 light years from Earth
An image of the ‘Delicate Supernova Blast Wave’ has been seen draped from Earth into the sky for 2,400 light years, captured by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope.
Looking like a light curtain in the sky, it is actually the outer edge of a supernova remnant from an explosion that exploded a star that died 20,000 years ago.
The European Space Agency (ESA), a partner in the Hubble Telescope, said the exploding star would be about 20 times larger than our Sun.
The phenomenon of stars is called Cygnus supernova blast wave – the name comes from its position in the northern constellation Cygnus (Swan).
Looking like a light curtain in the sky, it is actually the outer edge of a supernova remnant from an explosion that exploded a star that died 20,000 years ago.
The original supernova exploded into a giant star, its remnants extending from its center as far as 60 light-years.
The shockwave supernova depicted by Hubble marks the outer edge of the remnant and continues to expand at about 217 miles per second, ESA explains.
“The interaction of the ejected material and the low-density intercellular material, which is formed by the shock, creates a special membrane-like structure seen in the image,” the ESA said.
A supernova is an explosion where a giant star reaches the end of its life and carries most of its mass into space – resulting in strangely shaped remnants over time.
Cygnus fossils cover an area of the sky 36 times larger than the full moon.
1990 marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the herbal low Earth orbit – and since then it has revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
While Hubble has been a wonderful source of information for scientists, it has also released some of the most iconic astronomical images it has ever captured.
The original supernova exploded into a giant star, its remnants extending from its center as far as 60 light-years. This is an image of the huge Cygnus loop captured by Hubble in 1991
In addition to showing the world the Cygnus supernova explosion this new ‘outer edge’, Hubble also captured the huge Cygnus loop.
This is a nebula of stars formed from the same supernova explosion.
Most of the stars that explode in a supernova leave behind smaller stars such as a neutron star or a black hole – but so far no one has been found to have survived the explosion that created this massive explosion wave.
The remnants left by the Cygnus supernova are expected to be 15 times larger than the Sun – it will be placed in a neutron star series.
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope is still in operation and has made more than 1.3 million observations since its mission began in 1990.
The Hubble Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990 by the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It is named after the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble who was born in 1889 in Missouri.
The universe is expanding and it is arguably the most famous for the rate at which it occurs – now the Hubble Constant’s coin.
The Hubble Telescope is named after the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble who was born in Missouri in 1889 (pictured).
Since its mission began in 1990, Hubble has made more than 1.3 million observations and helped publish more than 15,000 scientific articles.
It orbits the Earth in a low Earth orbit at a speed of about 17,000mph (27,300kph) at an altitude of about 340 miles itude.
Hubble has a pointing accuracy of .007 arc seconds, which Franklin d. About 200 miles (320 km) away from Roosevelt’s head is the equivalent of being able to shine a laser beam centered on a dime.
The Hubble Telescope is named after Edwin Hubble who was responsible for constantly accompanying Hubble and is one of the greatest astronomers of all time.
Hubble’s primary mirror is around 2.4 meters (7 feet, 10.5 inches) and a total length of 13.3 meters (43.5 feet) – the length of a large school bus.
Hubble’s launch and deployment in April 1990 marks the most significant breakthrough in astronomy since the Galileo telescope.
Thanks to five servicing missions and over 25 years of operation, our view of the universe and our position within it have never been the same.
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