NASA: A detailed analysis by researchers has found that filaments on the outer surface of Gauss A
NASA: A strange Grinch-like green light weaving through the glowing remnants of last year's supernova, known as the Green Monster, is associated with an explosive wave at the periphery of the debris field, a recent study reveals. Space.com reported.
In April of last year, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured images of a peculiar „emission wall” in front of Cassiopeia A (Cass A), located about 11,000 light-years from Earth. Cas A's light, which reached us 340 years ago, has fascinated astronomers over the past year as they seek to understand the phenomenon's origin and existence within the extensively studied supernova remnant.
Presented at the American Astronomical Society conference in New Orleans on Monday (Jan. 8), the latest image shows Cassiopeia A (Cass A) with unprecedented clarity using Webb's observing capabilities in conjunction with NASA's Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes. The luminous sphere, spanning 10 light-years, shows a fascinating interspersion of red clouds, representing dust that has been heated in gas heated to millions of degrees. Streaks of white, green and orange light scattered throughout create a cosmologically complex and breathtaking perspective of the celestial remains.
A new composite image includes X-rays from Chandra (blue), infrared data from Webb (red, green, blue) and optical data from Hubble (red and white). The outer regions of the image also include infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (red, green and blue). The outline of the Green Monster can be seen in the second image of the carousel, NASA said in a press release.
An image of the „Green Monster” was posted on Instagram with the caption, „In April 2023, @NASAWebb infrared data detected an unusual structure. It was called the „Green Monster” because it resembled the wall at left. Fenway Park. However, with X-rays from @NASACHANDRAXray By combining web data, researchers think they've hunted down the source of the Green Monster.”
„From Earth's perspective, when a massive star exploded to form Cassiopeia A (Gas A) about 340 years ago, it created an outwardly expanding ball of matter and light. Chandra sees the star's debris as it heats tens of thousands. Millions of degrees through vibrational waves, Like sound booms from a supersonic jet. Webb can see some material unaffected by the shock waves, called „pristine” debris. Most of this is behind the Green Monster. Webb and composition therefore give a better idea of the total debris of the exploded star than the Chandra data,” the caption further read.
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The researchers' detailed analysis found that filaments in the outer region of Cass A, from the blast wave, closely match the X-ray characteristics of the green monster, including less iron and silicon than supernova debris, NASA said in a release.
Chandra sees the debris from the explosion as it is heated to tens of thousands of degrees by vibrational waves similar to the sonic booms from a supersonic aircraft. Webb can see some objects that are not affected by shock waves, called „pristine” debris.