These pages diplay and discuss the many objects we see in our universe. The emphasis is on high energy astrophysics data. This spectrum of SN 1006 taken with OSO 8 shows the characteristic signature for synchrotron emission, a flat, hard spectrum.
Synchrotron emission arises when high energy electrons are accelerated in a magnetic field.
From the spectrum it is possible to deduce what energies these electrons had. The localization of the X-ray emission to the bright rims of the remnant shows that the electrons have been accelerated by the SNR forward shock. Cosmic Journeys Part of the NASA OSS Structure and Evolution of the Universe theme.