Chandra Release - December 14, 2004

Visual Description: 3C 58

3C58 is a supernova remnant, which is the remains of a massive star that exploded that was observed by Chinese and Japanese astronomers in the year 1181. The Chandra X-ray Observatory image shows two parts, a full field image up top and a detailed look at the core at bottom right. The background of the image is predominantly black, with a wash of purple and pink texture making up the remnant.  There is one central, noticeable bright spot in the image, representing increased X-ray emission.  The overall shape of the supernova remnant is irregular, with a croissant-like structure. The detailed look by Chandra in the inset shows that the central pulsar -- a rapidly rotating neutron star formed in the supernova event -- is surrounded by a bright torus of X-ray emission, colored in purple. An X-ray jet erupts in both directions from the center of the torus, and extends over a distance of a few light years. Farther out, an intricate web of X-ray loops can be seen.