Cassiopeia A Archives

Red, green and blue represent Chandra X-ray images of O- (0.6–0.85 keV), Si- (1.76–1.94 keV) and Fe-enhanced (6.54–6.92 keV) regions, respectively. The white grids indicate the fields of view of our two-pointing observations with XRISM/Resolve, which has a 6 × 6 pixel array: a pixel at a corner is only used for calibration. Pixels we selected for our spectral analysis are highlighted in yellow. In the south-east (SE) and north (N) regions, we examined the spectrum of each pixel and selected those exhibiting large equivalent widths of K emission; the spatial distribution of these pixels closely matches that of the O and Si emission lines. In contrast, the west (W) region exhibits weak O line intensity, and the K emission line in its spectrum is faint (Fig. 2).-- Nature

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Astrochemistry: Where The Elements Come From

by Keith CowingDecember 4, 2025December 4, 2025

“Why are we here?” is humanity’s most fundamental and persistent question. Tracing the origins of the elements is a direct attempt to answer this at its deepest level. We know […]

This shimmering cosmic curtain shows interstellar gas and dust that has been heated by the flashbulb explosion of a long-ago supernova. The gas then glows infrared light in what is known as a thermal light echo. As the supernova illumination travels through space at the speed of light, the echo appears to expand. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed this light echo in the vicinity of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC) Larger image

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release, Stellar Cartography

Stellar Cartography: Intricate Layers of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2025January 19, 2025

Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star’s […]