Amazing ‘Hand of God’ appears after star explosion
QMI Agency
First posted: Friday, January 10, 2014 10:33 AM EST | Updated: Friday, January 10, 2014 10:52 AM EST
NASA scientists have nicknamed a cloud that developed from an exploding star the Hand of God because of its shape.
The cloud is a pulsar wind nebula and is fuelled by the leftover, dense core of a star that blew up in a supernova explosion. The particles are interacting with magnetic fields around the material, causing it to glow with X-rays.
"The result is a cloud that...looked like an open hand," NASA said on its website.
"One of the big mysteries of this object is whether the pulsar particles are interacting with the material in a specific way to make it look like a hand, or if the material is in fact shaped like a hand."
There is a second red cloud near the "fingertips" of the Hand of God cloud. Astronomers think the pulsar's wind is heating this cloud, causing it to glow.
A cloud that formed after a star exploded has been nicknamed the Hand of God by NASA astronomers. The object is a pulsar wind nebula. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/McGill)
Amazing ‘Hand of God’ appears after star explosion | World | News | Toronto Sun
QMI Agency
First posted: Friday, January 10, 2014 10:33 AM EST | Updated: Friday, January 10, 2014 10:52 AM EST
NASA scientists have nicknamed a cloud that developed from an exploding star the Hand of God because of its shape.
The cloud is a pulsar wind nebula and is fuelled by the leftover, dense core of a star that blew up in a supernova explosion. The particles are interacting with magnetic fields around the material, causing it to glow with X-rays.
"The result is a cloud that...looked like an open hand," NASA said on its website.
"One of the big mysteries of this object is whether the pulsar particles are interacting with the material in a specific way to make it look like a hand, or if the material is in fact shaped like a hand."
There is a second red cloud near the "fingertips" of the Hand of God cloud. Astronomers think the pulsar's wind is heating this cloud, causing it to glow.
A cloud that formed after a star exploded has been nicknamed the Hand of God by NASA astronomers. The object is a pulsar wind nebula. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/McGill)
Amazing ‘Hand of God’ appears after star explosion | World | News | Toronto Sun
