images

Supernova remnant Simeis 147 in Taurus

by

D.De Martin/Novapix

Reference

a-snv11-00150

Date

2006-09-05

These are the intricate filaments of faint supernova remnant Simeis 147. Seen towards the constellation Taurus it covers nearly 3 degrees (6 full moons) on the sky corresponding to a width of 160 light-years at the stellar debris cloud's estimated distance of 3,000 light-years. This supernova remnant has an apparent age of about 100,000 years. But this expanding remnant is not the only aftermath. The cosmic catastrophe also left behind a spinning neutron star, or pulsar, all that remains of the original star's core. This image is based on data acquired by the Oschin Telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory.