NASA\u2019s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, helping fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have observed.<\/p>\n
When astronomers using NASA\u2019s Chandra X-ray Observatory previously targeted RCW 86, they discovered that a large \u201ccavity\u201d region around the system led the supernova to expand more rapidly than expected. The low-density cavity region could have led to RCW 86\u2019s unique shape as well. Now, IXPE has observed the outer rim of this supernova, where its expansion is suspected to have halted at the edge of the \u201ccavity,\u201d creating the reflected shock effect highlighted in purple.<\/p>\n
The full image combines IXPE\u2019s data with legacy observations from two other X-ray telescopes: NASA\u2019s Chandra and the ESA (European Space Agency) XMM-Newton telescope. The yellow represents low-energy X-rays, while blue shows high-energy X-rays detected by Chandra and XMM-Newton. The starfield in the image comes from the National Science Foundation\u2019s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab).<\/p>\n
\u00a0The IXPE mission, which continues to provide unprecedented data enabling groundbreaking discoveries about celestial objects across the universe, is a joint NASA and Italian Space Agency mission with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. It is led by NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.\u202fBAE Systems, Inc., headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado\u2019s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder.\u202fLearn more about IXPE\u2019s ongoing mission here:\u00a0<\/p>\n