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Chandra X-ray and MCELS Optical Image of DEM L238 and DEM L249
DEM L238 and DEM L249 are two supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra and ESA's XMM-Newton observatories suggest that the stars responsible for these debris fields were unusually young when they were destroyed by thermonuclear explosions. The large field-of-view is a composite image of DEM L238 (right) and DEM L249, Chandra X-ray data in blue and optical data in white.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/NCSU/K.Borkowski; Optical: NOAO/CTIO/MCELS)
DEM L238 and DEM L249 are two supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra and ESA's XMM-Newton observatories suggest that the stars responsible for these debris fields were unusually young when they were destroyed by thermonuclear explosions. The large field-of-view is a composite image of DEM L238 (right) and DEM L249, Chandra X-ray data in blue and optical data in white.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/NCSU/K.Borkowski; Optical: NOAO/CTIO/MCELS)
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Chandra X-ray Image of DEM L238
This Chandra image reveals how DEM L238 appears in the three bands of X-ray emission (low energy X-rays are shown in red, medium energies in green and high energies in blue.) The central region of DEM L238 is green which indicates that it is rich in iron. This overabundance of iron identifies this object as a so-called Type Ia supernova, one possible explosive death of a star.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/NCSU/K.Borkowski)
This Chandra image reveals how DEM L238 appears in the three bands of X-ray emission (low energy X-rays are shown in red, medium energies in green and high energies in blue.) The central region of DEM L238 is green which indicates that it is rich in iron. This overabundance of iron identifies this object as a so-called Type Ia supernova, one possible explosive death of a star.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/NCSU/K.Borkowski)
3
Comparison of Type Ia Supernovas
This 4-panel compares the Chandra image of DEM L238 with the Chandra image of 3 Type Ia supernova remnants located in the Milky Way. The X-ray emission for Kepler's remnant contains a bright central region similar to DEM L238, while the X-ray emission for Tycho's remnant and SN 1006 are generally much more uniform. These results suggest that the stars that exploded and caused the DEM L238 and Kepler supernova remnants were much younger than the stars that produced the Tycho and SN 1006 remnants.
(Credit: NASA/CXC)
This 4-panel compares the Chandra image of DEM L238 with the Chandra image of 3 Type Ia supernova remnants located in the Milky Way. The X-ray emission for Kepler's remnant contains a bright central region similar to DEM L238, while the X-ray emission for Tycho's remnant and SN 1006 are generally much more uniform. These results suggest that the stars that exploded and caused the DEM L238 and Kepler supernova remnants were much younger than the stars that produced the Tycho and SN 1006 remnants.
(Credit: NASA/CXC)
Return to DEM L238 and DEM L249 (04 Jan 07)
Revised: June 07, 2022