“A newly discovered supernova remnant by Swift in the Milky Way is among the youngest known. Scientists used Chandra to follow up with the initial discovery, learning more about the remnant’s properties. This supernova remnant, dubbed G306.3-0.9, is located about 26,000 light years from Earth.
Composite
X-ray
Infrared
Radio
Credit X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Michigan/M.Reynolds et al; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Radio: CSIRO/ATNF/ATCA
Release Date March 15, 2013
Observation Date 02 June 2011
Observation Time 1 hours 23 min
While performing an extensive X-ray survey of our galaxy’s central regions, NASA’s Swift satellite has uncovered the previously unknown remains of a shattered star. Designated G306.3-0.9 after the coordinates of its sky position, the new object ranks among the youngest-known supernova remnants in our Milky Way galaxy…
Milky Way
…This composite of supernova remnant G306.3-0.9 merges Chandra X-ray observations (blue), infrared data acquired by the Spitzer Space Telescope (red and cyan) and radio observations (purple) from the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The image is 20 arcminutes across, which corresponds to 150 light-years at the remnant’s estimated distance.
Wide-field Images of G306.3-0.9.
The Swift Galactic Plane Survey is a project to image a two-degree-wide strip along the Milky Way’s central plane at X-ray and ultraviolet energies at the same time. Imaging began in 2011 and is expected to complete this summer.
The Swift survey leverages infrared imaging previously compiled by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and extends it into higher energies. The infrared and X-ray surveys complement each other because light at these energies penetrates dust clouds in the galactic plane, while the ultraviolet survey of the region is the first one ever done.
To further investigate the object, the team followed up with an 83-minute exposure using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and additional radio observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array.”
See the full article here.
Chandra X-ray Center, Operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
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