The Mouse That Soared
The Mouse, a.k.a. G359.23-0.82, gets its name
from its appearance in radio images that show a compact snout, a bulbous body,
and a remarkable long, narrow, tail that extends for about 55 light
years.
The Mouse, a.k.a. G359.23-0.82, gets its name from its appearance in radio images that show a compact snout, a bulbous body, and a remarkable long, narrow, tail that extends for about 55 light years (see radio image below). The image above, a composite X-ray (gold) and radio (blue), shows a close-up of the head of the Mouse where a shock wave has formed as the young pulsar plows supersonically through interstellar space.
The X-ray cloud consists of high-energy particles swept back by the pulsar's interaction with the interstellar gas. Near the front of the cloud an intense X-ray source marks the location of the pulsar, estimated to be moving through space at about 1.3 million miles per hour. A cone-shaped cloud of less energetic, radio-wave-emitting particles envelopes the X-ray cloud.
Astronomers are as freewheeling as rock-climbers when it comes to naming anything. Still, this is one of the most interesting recent images from Chandra.
Posted: Fri - December 16, 2005 at 03:36 PM