The image shows the expanding leftovers of a recent supernova, a violent cosmic explosion that occurred just 320 years ago. Material is racing into space at 10 million mph. In the center of the explosion is a small white dot that scientists said may be the neutron star suspected to be the source of the explosion. Chandra's first image is of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, the youngest such object known in our galaxy. It exploded around 1680.
Brighter regions are hottest.
We see the collision of the debris from the exploded star with the matter around it, we see shock waves rushing into interstellar space at millions of miles per hour, and, as a real bonus, we see for the first time a tantalizing bright point near the center of the remnant that could possibly be a collapsed star associated with the outburst. More research will need to be done, experts said, to conclude if the central dot is the hoped-for neutron star. After another few weeks of calibration and testing, this will be one of Chandra's many tasks, and other observatories, including radio telescopes, are likely to be used to investigate the point of light. The quasar radiates with the power of 10 trillion Suns, energy which scientists believe comes from a supermassive black hole at its center. Chandra s image, combined with radio telescope observations, should provide insight into the process by which supermassive black holes can produce such cosmic jets.