Chandra Release - July 01, 2008

Visual Description: SN 1006

The composite image of the supernova remnant SN 1006 shows a stunning celestial phenomenon, resembling a massive round red-white-and-blue firework in the sky. The background of the image looks like a densely starry sky. In the center is a large, colorful nebula that pulls the viewer’s attention. The nebula has an electric blue hue with strong pops of blue around the edges, as well as red pops of color on the top left and bottom right and a bright yellow rim-like streak across the top right curve.  SN 1006 was caused by a white dwarf star that captured mass from a companion star until the white dwarf became unstable and exploded. Recent observations of the remnant of SN 1006 reveal the liberation of elements such as iron that were previously locked up inside the star. Shown in the image are X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (in blue), optical data from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (yellow) and the Digitized Sky Survey (orange and light blue), plus radio data from the Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope (red).