Skip to main content

Astronomers Capture a "Flame-Throwing Guitar" in Space.

 



In an extraordinary discovery, astronomers have observed a "flame-throwing guitar" structure in deep space, captured through NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope. The object, known as the Guitar Nebula, is a mesmerizing cosmic phenomenon located around a pulsar, PSR B2224+65, a rapidly spinning neutron star formed after the collapse of a massive star.


The nebula's striking guitar shape is created by energetic particles being expelled from the pulsar. As the pulsar moves through space, these particles are blown into bubbles, creating the guitar-like form. The pulsar itself, located at the tip of the "guitar," emits a filament of particles and X-ray radiation, resembling a flame. This high-energy radiation is captured by Chandra, revealing the intricate dynamics of the cosmic structure.


The pulsar's extreme rotation and intense magnetic fields accelerate particles to near light speed, generating both matter and antimatter. This process, which defies the usual mass-energy conversion (as described by Einstein’s famous equation E=mc²), results in the creation of electron and positron pairs. The energetic particles spiral around magnetic field lines, producing the X-rays detected by Chandra.


A new movie made from Chandra and Palomar data showcases this remarkable event, with X-rays tracing a filament stretching about two light-years across. The pulsar’s movement, combined with variations in the surrounding gas density, affects the production of these bubbles and the intensity of the X-ray filament, giving it a dynamic, flame-like appearance.






The data also reveals how these energetic particles interact with the surrounding interstellar medium, providing scientists with valuable insights into the behavior of particles and their role in the broader cosmos. Astronomers have observed that the pulsar’s movement and the fluctuations in the nebula’s density cause subtle changes in the filament’s brightness, akin to a cosmic blowtorch.


This cosmic spectacle offers a rare glimpse into the fundamental processes at play in the universe, shedding light on the behavior of high-energy particles and their impact on the space between stars.


For more details, the study was published in The Astrophysical Journal


NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center oversees the Chandra program, with operations managed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center in Massachusetts.


This release presents two short videos and a labeled composite image depicting a giant "flame-throwing guitar" in space. The Guitar Nebula, shaped like a guitar, is formed by a hydrogen nebula around the pulsar PSR B2224+65. As the pulsar ejects particles, they create a cloud of bubbles that are shaped into a guitar-like structure by a steady wind. 


The pulsar also emits a long filament of energetic particles, seen as a streak of X-ray light in the images, stretching 12 trillion miles. The two videos show the dynamic behavior of the nebula and filament over time, with the Hubble and Chandra data revealing the pulsar’s influence on both the guitar shape and the X-ray blast.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NASA/ESA Hubble Telescope Captures Image of Supernova to Aid Distance Measurements.

  The Hubble Space Telescope has recently captured a striking image of a supernova-hosting galaxy, located approximately 600 million light-years away in the constellation Gemini. This image, taken about two months after the discovery of supernova SN 2022aajn, reveals a bright blue dot at the center, signifying the explosive event. Although SN 2022aajn was first announced in November 2022, it has not yet been the subject of extensive research. However, Hubble's interest in this particular supernova lies in its classification as a Type Ia supernova, a type that is key to measuring cosmic distances. Type Ia supernovae occur when a star's core collapses, and they are particularly useful for astronomers because they have a predictable intrinsic brightness. No matter how far away a Type Ia supernova is, it emits the same amount of light. By comparing its observed brightness to this known luminosity, astronomers can calculate how far away the supernova — and its host galaxy — are from...

Solar Storm Shocker: Earth Gets a Cosmic Makeover with Two New Radiation Belts!

  The May 2024 solar storm formed two new radiation belts between the Van Allen Belts, with one containing protons, creating a unique composition never observed before. Picture this: May 2024, the Sun throws a massive tantrum, sending a solar storm hurtling toward Earth. The result? Stunning auroras light up the skies, GPS systems go haywire, and—wait for it—Earth gets two brand-new *temporary* radiation belts! That’s right, our planet just got a cosmic upgrade, thanks to the largest solar storm in two decades. And no, this isn’t a sci-fi movie plot—it’s real science, folks!   Thanks to NASA’s Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment (CIRBE) satellite, scientists discovered these new belts, which are like Earth’s Van Allen Belts’ quirky cousins. Published on February 6, 2025, in the *Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics*, this discovery is a game-changer for space research, especially for protecting satellites and astronauts from solar storm shenanigans. ...

Tropical Cyclone Sean Hits Western Australia, Breaking Rainfall Records and Causing Damage.

  On January 17, 2025, a tropical low formed over the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. By January 19, the system had intensified into Tropical Cyclone Sean, marking the second tropical cyclone of Australia’s 2024–2025 season. NASA’s Terra satellite, using the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument, captured a detailed image of the storm at around 10 a.m. local time (02:00 Universal Time) on January 20, 2025. Later that same day, Cyclone Sean reached its peak strength as a Category 4 storm. Despite staying offshore and not making landfall, Cyclone Sean still brought significant impacts to the Pilbara coast. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported that Karratha, a coastal city in the region, received a staggering 274.4 millimeters (10.8 inches) of rain in just 24 hours, setting a new single-day rainfall record for the city. The powerful storm caused widespread flooding, with roads submerged, homes affected, and power infrastructure damaged. Se...