Vela Supernova Remnant

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Vela Supernova Remnant
Diffuse nebula
supernova remnant
Vela supernova - VST - Eso2214a.jpg
The Vela Supernova Remnant.
Observation data: J2000.0 epoch
Right ascension 08h 35m 20.66s
Declination −45° 10 35.2
Distance936+62
−55
  ly    (287+19
−17
[1]   pc)
Apparent magnitude (V)12
Apparent dimensions (V)8 degrees (approx.)
Constellation Vela
DesignationsVela XYZ, Gum  16, SNR  G263.9-03.3, 1E  0840.0-4430, RE  J083854-430902
See also: Lists of nebulae

The Vela supernova remnant is a supernova remnant in the southern constellation Vela. Its source Type II supernova exploded approximately 11,000 years ago (and was about 900 light-years away). [1] The association of the Vela supernova remnant with the Vela pulsar, made by astronomers at the University of Sydney in 1968, [2] was direct observational evidence that supernovae form neutron stars.

Contents

The Vela supernova remnant includes NGC 2736. The Vela supernova remnant overlaps the Puppis A supernova remnant, which is four times more distant. Both the Puppis and Vela remnants are among the largest and brightest features in the X-ray sky.

The Vela supernova remnant is one of the closest known to us. The Geminga pulsar is closer (and also resulted from a supernova), and in 1998 another near-Earth supernova remnant was discovered, RX J0852.0-4622, which from our point of view appears to be contained in the southeastern part of the Vela remnant. This remnant was not seen earlier because when viewed in most wavelengths, it is lost in the Vela remnant.

See also

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The Vela Pulsar is a radio, optical, X-ray- and gamma-emitting pulsar associated with the Vela Supernova Remnant in the constellation of Vela. Its parent Type II supernova exploded approximately 11,000–12,300 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gum Nebula</span>

The Gum Nebula is an emission nebula that extends across 36° in the southern constellations Vela and Puppis. It lies approximately 450 parsecs from the Earth. Hard to distinguish, it was widely believed to be the greatly expanded remains of a supernova that took place about a million years ago. More recent research suggests it may be an evolved H II region. It contains the 11,000-year-old Vela Supernova Remnant, along with the Vela Pulsar.

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Vela Molecular Ridge is a molecular cloud complex in the constellations Vela and Puppis. Radio 12CO observations of the region showed the ridge to be composed of several clouds, each with masses 100,000–1,000,000 M. This cloud complex lies on the sky in the direction of the Gum Nebula (foreground) and the Carina–Sagittarius Spiral Arm (background). The most important clouds in the region are identified by the letters A, B, C and D, and in fact belong to two different complexes: the clouds A, C and D are located at an average distance of about 700-1000 parsecs and are related to the OB association Vela R2, while cloud B is located at a greater distance, up to 2000 parsecs away, and is physically connected to the extended Vela OB1 association.

References

  1. 1 2 Sushch, I.; Hnatyk, B.; Neronov, A. (2011). "Modeling of the Vela complex including the Vela supernova remnant, the binary system γ2 Velorum, and the Gum nebula". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 525: A154. arXiv: 1011.1177 . Bibcode:2011A&A...525A.154S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015346. S2CID   55224501.
  2. Large, M. I.; et al. (1968). "A Pulsar Supernova Association?". Nature . 20 (5165): 340. Bibcode:1968Natur.220..340L. doi:10.1038/220340a0. S2CID   32855796.