Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Vela (Vel)  ·  Contains:  Extremely wide field
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SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star, Agnaldo
SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star
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SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star, Agnaldo
SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star
Powered byPixInsight

SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star

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Description

Have you ever imagined photographing a supernova remnant?
Well, neither do I! And until recently I didn't even know what that was.
This image shows a view of the clouds that make up what's left of the explosive death of a massive star - the Vela supernova remnant.
The fine red and blue structure is all that remains of a massive star that ended its life in a huge explosion about 12,300 years ago. When the most massive stars reach the end of their lives, they usually explode violently in an event called a supernova. These explosions cause shock waves to travel through the surrounding gas, compressing it and creating intricate filamentary structures. The released energy heats the gaseous arms, causing them to glow brightly.
Situated just 800 light-years away from Earth, this supernova remnant is one of the closest we know of.
The captured image is the result of 48 photos of 300s each - nine full moons would fit in its area, and the complete cloud is even bigger.

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SNR Vela - The ghost of a giant star, Agnaldo