Astronomy Picture of the Day

Supernova Remnant Imaged in Gamma Rays


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zorg.ch
#56246 by @ 06.11.2004 00:00 - nach oben -
Supernova Remnant Imaged in Gamma Rays


Explanation:

Gamma rays are the most energetic
form of light.

With up to a billion times the energy of ordinary "medical"x-rays,
they easily penetrate telescope lenses and mirrors, making it
very difficult to create
gamma-ray images of cosmic sources.

Still, an array of large telescopes
designed to detect gamma-ray
induced atmospheric flashes - the HESS
(High Energy
Stereoscopic System
)
experiment - has produced this historic, resolved image of a
supernova remnant at extreme
gamma-ray energies.

Astronomers note that the
premier
gamma-ray view
of the expanding
stellar debris cloud is clearly similar to x-ray images of the remnant
and convincingly supports the idea that these sites of powerful
shock waves are also sources of cosmic
rays
within our galaxy.

The gamma-ray intensity is color-coded in the picture, shown with
dark contour lines that trace levels of x-ray emission
from the object.

At an estimated distance of 3,000 light-years, the supernova
remnant measures about 50 light-years across and
lies near the galactic plane.




Credit & Copyright
zorg.ch
#56283 by @ 06.11.2004 14:03 - nach oben -
klingt nach recht tödlicher strahlung

bzzzzp und weg bist du :D