X-ray and Infrared Images of SN 1006

This release features a labeled, composite image of the supernova remnant SN 1006, debris from an exploded star that resembles a mottled red ball of churning fire against a softer backdrop of stars. The turbulent supernova remnant appears to be encircled by a gauzy blue and white ring that is most prominent at our lower right and upper left. This structure is markedly different from other rounded supernova remnants. At the upper lefthand corner of this composite image, a labeled section of SN 1006 is highlighted in a blue-tinted circle. Within this circle, only the outer ring of the supernova remnant is shown, not the mottled red stellar material churning inside. This ring is part of the supernova's expanding blast wave, which has been observed in X-ray light by both Chandra and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The soft backdrop of stars was captured in infrared light by the Spitzer Space Telescope. This image shows SN 1006 from two of NASA’s current X-ray telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). In the full image of SN 1006, red, green, and blue show low-, medium-, and high-energy detected by Chandra. The IXPE data, which measure the polarization of the X-ray light, have been added in the upper left corner of the remnant in purple. The lines in that corner represent the direction of the magnetic field. The new X-ray results expand scientists’ understanding of the relationship between magnetic fields and the flow of high-energy particles from exploding stars. Infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope showcase the stars in the field of view. Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/ixpe/ixpe-untangles-theories-surrounding-historic-supernova-remnant/