Originally published by NASA on December 13, 2022. Edits by EarthSky.
Hubble picture of celestial fireworks
A newly launched picture from the Hubble Space Telescope exhibits shreds of the colourful supernova remnant DEM L 190. The fragile sheets and complex filaments are particles from the cataclysmic loss of life of a large star that after lived within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. As a matter of reality, DEM L 190 – often known as LMC N49 – is the brightest supernova remnant within the Massive Magellanic Cloud. It shines with an obvious magnitude of +12.7, regardless of being roughly 160,000 light-years away from Earth within the constellation Dorado.
Knowledge from 2 devices
To make clear, this new picture combines information from two totally different Hubble devices. The primary one is the retired Broad Discipline and Planetary Digicam 2 (WFPC2). The second instrument is its substitute, the extra highly effective Wide Field Camera 3. However, throughout its operational lifetime, WFPC2 produced many memorable photographs.
First, astronomers used the 2 WFPC2 investigations of DEM L 190 as a pure laboratory to check the interplay between supernova remnants and the interstellar medium, the tenuous combination of gasoline and dust that lies between stars. Then, within the second examine, astronomers turned to Hubble to pinpoint the origin of a tender gamma-ray repeater, an enigmatic object lurking in DEM L 190 that repeatedly emits high-energy bursts of gamma rays.
By the way in which, Hubble additionally imaged DEM L 190 in 2003. So this newly launched picture incorporates extra information with improved image-processing methods, bringing out extra element of the supernova remnant.
Backside line: A brand new Hubble picture exhibits celestial fireworks from supernova remnant DEM L 190. The supernova remnant resembles the smoke and streamers of summer time fireworks.
