X-ray, Optical & Radio Images of GK Persei
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have studied the "classical nova" called GK Persei. Classical novas are outbursts produced by a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a white dwarf star, the dense remnant of a Sun-like star. These images of GK Persei show X-rays from Chandra, optical data from Hubble, and radio data from the Very Large Array. The X-ray data show hot gas and the radio data show emission from electrons that have been accelerated to high energies by the nova shock wave. The optical data reveal clumps of material that were ejected in the explosion.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/RIKEN/D.Takei et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NRAO/VLA)