August 11, 2013 Supernova remnant RCW 86 or SN 185 Image Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/CXC/SAO RCW 86 (also known as SN 185) is a supernova remnant of some 85 light-years across, located about 9,100 light-years away from Earth between the southern constellations of Circinus (the Compass) and Centaurus (the Centaur), near the direction of Alpha Centauri. It is most [continue reading]
May 23, 2013 PSR B1509-58, a pulsar in Circinus Image Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al. PSR B1509-58 (B1509 for short) is a 1700 years old pulsar that lies about 17,000 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Circinus (the Compass). It is surrounded by an X-ray nebula that spans about 150 light-years, and is [continue reading]
February 13, 2013 The Black Widow Nebula, an emission nebula in Circinus Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/E. Churchwell (Univ of Wisconsin) and the GLIMPSE Team The Black Widow Nebula is an emission nebula, a star-forming cloud of gas and dust, located about 10,000 light-years away from Earth just above the galactic plane in the southern constellation of [continue reading]