X-ray view of the surroundings of a hidden neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud
This archival image from the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory shows how an elusive missing object was found amid a complex tangle of gaseous filaments in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud.
The supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 shows up dramatically, but when combined with MUSE data, the blue dot just below centre proves to be an isolated neutron star with a weak magnetic field, the first identified outside the Milky Way.
Credit:ESO/NASA
About the Image
| Id: | eso1810d |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 5 April 2018, 17:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1810 |
| Size: | 900 x 906 px |
About the Object
| Name: | 1E 0102.2-7219 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Neutron Star |
| Constellation: | Tucana |
| Category: | Stars |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 1 4 2.06 |
| Position (Dec): | -72° 1' 53.92" |
| Field of view: | 1.18 x 1.19 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 0.3° left of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| X-ray 2.0-7.0 keV | 0.398 nm | Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS |
| X-ray 1.2-2.0 keV | 0.826 nm | Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS |
| X-ray 0.5-1.2 keV | 1.75 nm | Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS |