Chandra Release - November 19, 2014

Visual Description: MSH 11-62 and G327.1-1.1

Two Chandra X-ray Observatory images of supernova remnants reveal intricate structures left behind after massive stars exploded. The Chandra image on the left of MSH 11-62 features a red and gold nebula that appears to be in the shape of a tulip, with a bright light blue caterpillar shape at the center. Many multicolored dots of light are sprinkled throughout the image, like a bag of tiny jewels has been emptied into the image. The rich reds and oranges and lighter blue hues give the nebula a vibrant and colorful appearance. For G327.1-1.1 on the right, the nebula sits at the center of the image, colored predominantly in blue and dark magenta-pink, with little dots of green, red, orange and turquoise. The shape in the inner area is distinctive with a clothes-pin like shape in a sea of red. Powerful winds of high-energy particles are released from the dense core of the dead star to create pulsar wind nebulas. MSH 11-62 and G327.1-1.1 are examples of how complex the aftermath of stellar explosions can be.