The rim of RCW 86

Image of part of a stellar remnant whose explosion was recorded in 185 AD. By studying this remnant in detail, a team of astronomers was able to solve the mystery of the Milky Way’s super-efficient particle accelerators. The team shows that the shock wave visible in this area is very efficient at accelerating particles and the energy used in this process matches the number of cosmic rays observed on Earth. North is toward the top right and east to the top left. The image is about 6 arc minutes across.

Crédit:

ESO/E. Helder & NASA/Chandra

À propos de l'image

Identification:eso0923a
Type:Observation
Date de publication:25 juin 2009
Communiqués de presse en rapport:eso0923
Taille:1672 x 947 px

À propos de l'objet

Nom:RCW 86
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Supernova Remnant
Distance:8000 années lumière
Constellation:Circinus
Catégorie:Nebulae

Formats des images

Grand JPEG
487,1 Kio
JPEG taille écran
207,5 Kio

Fonds d'écran

1024x768
290,2 Kio
1280x1024
381,0 Kio
1600x1200
500,3 Kio
1920x1200
599,7 Kio
2048x1536
691,5 Kio

Coordinates

Position (RA):14 45 8.13
Position (Dec):-62° 17' 57.26"
Field of view:7.04 x 3.99 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 70.6° right of vertical

Couleurs & filtres

DomaineTélescope
Rayons XChandra X-ray Observatory
VisibleVery Large Telescope