NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is a telescope that has been designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. Since X-rays are absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, Chandra must orbit above it.
The official Instagram page of NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory recently shared an image of a supernova remnant “SNR 0103- 72.6”. The caption shared by NASA on the image states, “Oxygen is one of the most abundant #elements in supernova remnant 0103- 72.6. #Oxygen is created by nuclear reactions in the interiors of #stars at least ten times as massive as our sun. When such a star explodes, its core collapses to form either a neutron star, or if massive enough, a #BlackHole, and the material surrounding the core is propelled into interstellar #space.”
Supernova Remnants (SNRs) are extremely important for understanding our galaxy. They heat up the interstellar medium, distribute heavy elements throughout the galaxy and accelerate cosmic rays.
