PSR B1509−58

PSR B1509−58 is a pulsar approximately 17,000 light-years away in the constellation of Circinus discovered by the Einstein X-Ray Observatory in 1982. It appears approximately 1,700 years old, and it sits in a nebula that spans about 150 light years. NASA described the star as "a rapidly spinning neutron star which is spewing energy out into the space around it to create complex and intriguing structures, including one that resembles a large cosmic hand." It is also known by the name "Hand of God". The spin rate is "almost 7 times per second".

PSR B1509−58

X-rays from Chandra are gold; infrared from WISE in red, green and blue/max.
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Circinus
Right ascension 15h 13m 55.52s
Declination −59° 08 08.8
Characteristics
Spectral type Pulsar
Astrometry
Distance17,000 ly
Details
Rotation0.1502 s
Other designations
PSR 1509-58
Database references
SIMBADdata

X-rays from Chandra are red, green, and blue/max.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.