Chandra Release - August 26, 1999

Visual Description: Cassiopeia A

This image of Cassiopeia A, the remnant of a stellar explosion, is shown as a brilliant, glowing sphere of hot gas. The dominant colors are various shades of orange and yellow, which represent the intensity of the X-rays that NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected of the exploded star's debris. The structure consists of a bright, somewhat circular outer shell with wispy, clumpy filaments radiating around the interior,  and a tiny, bright central point at the center (the neutron star). These features create a sense of dynamic energy and motion.  This image was one of the official first light images for Chandra.