Supernova Flashback

Annotated Version

The Cassiopeia A supernova's first flash of radiation makes six clumps of dust (circled in annotated version) unusually hot. The supernova remnant is the large white ball in the center. This infrared picture was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Image details

ID#:
PIA11213

Date added:
2008-10-01

Target:
Cassiopeia A

Mission:
Spitzer Space Telescope

Spacecraft:
Spitzer Space Telescope

Instruments:
Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS)

Size:
1769 x 1341 pixels (width x height)

Rating:

Views:
4,114

Full-Res TIFF:
PIA11213.tif (7.13 MB)

Full-Res JPG:
PIA11213.jpg (0.14 MB)

Image credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/E. Dwek and R. Arendt