The Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco Telescope in Chile captured a record 1.3 gigapixel image of the Vela supernova remnant, the scattered remains of a star that exploded about 11,000 years ago.
The image shows billowing tendrils of dust and gas filaments stretching across 100 light-years. It is the largest image ever released from DECam.
The Vela supernova remnant is about 800 light years from Earth and spans an area 20 times the angular diameter of the full moon. It gives astronomers insight into how supernova material disperses into interstellar space.
At the heart of the remnant is the Vela pulsar, a neutron star spinning 11 times per second. It is creating a pulsar wind nebula of charged particles inside the larger supernova remnant.
Astronomers can study elements ejected from the exploded star like calcium, carbon, copper, and nickel to understand stellar evolution and supernova dynamics.
The Vela supernova remnant is in the constellation Vela, once part of the larger Argo Navis constellation representing the ship of Greek myth the Argonauts.
So in summary, the article details a spectacular new image from DECam of the Vela supernova remnant, what it reveals about supernova remnants, and its importance for astronomical research.
