Explanation:
The Crab Pulsar, a city-sized, magnetized
neutron star spinning 30 times a second,
lies at the center of
this
remarkable image from
the orbiting Chandra Observatory.
The deep x-ray image gives the first
clear view of
the convoluted boundaries of the Crab's pulsar wind nebula.
Like a
cosmic
dynamo the pulsar powers the x-ray
emission.
The pulsar's energy accelerates
charged particles, producing eerie, glowing x-ray jets directed
away from the poles and an intense wind in the equatorial direction.
Intriguing edges are created as the charged
particles stream away, eventually losing energy as they interact
with the pulsar's strong magnetic field.
With more mass than the Sun and the density of an
atomic nucleus,
the spinning pulsar itself is the collapsed core of a
massive star.
The stellar core collapse resulted in a supernova explosion that
was witnessed in
the year
1054.
This Chandra image spans just under 9 light-years at the Crab's
estimated distance of 6,000 light-years.
Note : APOD Editor to Speak in New York on Jan. 2
digg_url = 'http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081227.html'; digg_skin = 'compact';
