This object is a part of the Vela supernova remnant, located 800 light years away in the southern constellation of Vela at a declination of -43 degrees. It is estimated that the supernova exploded approximately 12,000 years ago. The Vela supernova remnant overlaps the Gum supernova remnant, and the two are among the largest and brightest features in the X-ray sky. The Vela SNR is one of the closest supernova remnants to earth.
The region captured in this image is the brightest section of the Vela SNR, aside from the small isolated portion that is
NGC 2736 (the Pencil Nebula). The image spans about 3 degrees, which corresponds to a width of about 40 light years.
The bright star in this image is the magnitude 4 star e Velorum. It is further away than the SNR, at a distance of about 2000 light years.
This part of the SNR is known as The Bridge. This is because the bright emission arc of the SNR looks to some like a highway in the broader view, and the part of it captured in this image has some elements which look like a bridge for the highway.
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