Thu Sep 04, 2003 12:24 pm
humoungous crabs
astronomy pics season 2 episode 2 
Composite Crab
Credit: J. Hester (ASU) et al., CXC, HST, NASA
Explanation: The Crab Pulsar, a city-sized, magnetized neutron star spinning 30 times a second, lies at the center of this composite image of the inner region of the well-known Crab Nebula. The spectacular picture combines optical data (red) from the Hubble Space Telescope and x-ray images (blue) from the Chandra Observatory, also used in the popular Crab Pulsar movies. Like a cosmic dynamo the pulsar powers the x-ray and optical emission from the nebula, accelerating charged particles and producing the eerie, glowing x-ray jets. Ring-like structures are x-ray emitting regions where the high energy particles slam into the nebular material. The innermost ring is about a light-year across. With more mass than the Sun and the density of an atomic nucleus, the spinning pulsar is the collapsed core of a massive star that exploded, while the nebula is the expanding remnant of the star's outer layers. The supernova explosion was witnessed in the year 1054.
p.s. at tach and all other mods that find me posting amazing pics annoying, i'm doing this because if i stick all of it in one thread less ppl will go to it because they'll think its just some other forummer replying to my magnificent pics.
da astronomer
Composite Crab
Credit: J. Hester (ASU) et al., CXC, HST, NASA
Explanation: The Crab Pulsar, a city-sized, magnetized neutron star spinning 30 times a second, lies at the center of this composite image of the inner region of the well-known Crab Nebula. The spectacular picture combines optical data (red) from the Hubble Space Telescope and x-ray images (blue) from the Chandra Observatory, also used in the popular Crab Pulsar movies. Like a cosmic dynamo the pulsar powers the x-ray and optical emission from the nebula, accelerating charged particles and producing the eerie, glowing x-ray jets. Ring-like structures are x-ray emitting regions where the high energy particles slam into the nebular material. The innermost ring is about a light-year across. With more mass than the Sun and the density of an atomic nucleus, the spinning pulsar is the collapsed core of a massive star that exploded, while the nebula is the expanding remnant of the star's outer layers. The supernova explosion was witnessed in the year 1054.
p.s. at tach and all other mods that find me posting amazing pics annoying, i'm doing this because if i stick all of it in one thread less ppl will go to it because they'll think its just some other forummer replying to my magnificent pics.
da astronomer
), short for moderators. A modder is a short version of "modificator" someone who uses modifications on games and stuff.
USLF