Fancy a cosmic spaghetti? NASA's latest Picture of the Day features the deliciously named celestial wonder, the "Spaghetti Nebula."
This celestial pasta party, also known as the Supernova Remnant Simeis 147, is like a heavenly bowl of tangled noodles, swirling and twirling across the night sky.
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day features a delectable feast with the Spaghetti Nebula. Also known as Simeis 157, this filamentary nebula is found toward the boundary of the constellations of the Bull (Taurus) and the Charioteer (Auriga). This composite image was captured by Stéphane Vetter, featuring data taken via narrow-band filters isolating emission from hydrogen (red) and oxygen (blue) glowing gas.
NASA: The Spaghetti Nebula
Located at the celestial crossroads between the Bull (Taurus) and the Charioteer (Auriga) constellations, the Spaghetti Nebula mesmerizes viewers with its intricate and sprawling filaments. It spans nearly three degrees across the sky, equivalent to the expanse of six full moons.
According to NASA, that is about 150 light-years at the stellar debris cloud's estimated distance of 3,000 light-years. Crafted through the lens of Stéphane Vetter, this composite image isolates emissions from hydrogen and oxygen, painting the cosmic canvas in hues of red and blue.
The resulting visual feast offers a glimpse into the aftermath of a stellar explosion, with the supernova remnant boasting an estimated age of around 40,000 years.
"The supernova remnant has an estimated age of about 40,000 years, meaning light from this massive stellar explosion first reached the Earth when woolly mammoths roamed free. Besides the expanding remnant, this cosmic catastrophe left behind a pulsar: a spinning neutron star that is the remnant of the original star's core," NASA wrote in its latest astronomy picture of the day.
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The Origins of the Spaghetti Nebula
AstroBin provides further insight into the origins of Simeis 147, revealing its discovery in 1952 by Grigory Shajn and his team at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
Utilizing specialized equipment and narrowband filters, the astronomers peered into the depths of space, uncovering this elusive gem amidst the celestial tapestry. Despite its faint luminosity, the Spaghetti Nebula's presence captivated researchers, hinting at the cataclysmic events that shaped its existence.
This discovery likely occurred during a survey spanning from 1945 to 1955, potentially utilizing captured German equipment due to the observatory's near destruction during WWII.
With a field of view of 175', the Schmidt camera uncovered numerous previously unknown hydrogen nebulae that remained invisible in standard photographs.
According to AstroBin, the nebulous area boasts a fairly large size, characterized by an almost spherical shell and filamentary structure. Its remnant presents an estimated distance of roughly 3,000 (±350) light-years and an age of approximately 40,000 years.
Following its stellar explosion, a rapidly spinning neutron star, pulsar PSR J0538+2817, is believed to have formed in the nebula core, generating a powerful radio signal.
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