APOD: A Pulsar s Hand (2010 May 01)

[APOD Robot]

A Pulsar s Hand

Explanation: As far as pulsars go, PSR B1509-58 appears young. Light from the supernova explosion that gave birth to it would have first reached Earth some 1,700 years ago. The magnetized, 20 kilometer-diameter neutron star spins 7 times per second, a cosmic dynamo that powers a wind of charged particles. The energetic wind creates the surrounding nebula's X-ray glow in this tantalizing image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Low energy X-rays are in red, medium energies in green, and high energies in blue. The pulsar itself is in the bright central region. Remarkably, the nebula's tantalizing, complicated structure resembles a hand. PSR B1509-58 is about 17,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Circinus. At that distance the Chandra image spans 100 light-years.

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[NHTom]

Errr... The date at the top of the APOD page says "May 4." Today's the first.

[orin stepanek]

It does kind of look like an open hand. What's at the fingertips? A Maybasket?

[Astronut]

WOW! it is, it is a Giant Cosmic Hand!

But is it catching those Firey objects - or throwing them?

Or, could this possibly be the "unseen" hand that Herbert W. Armstrong used to mention so often??

Questions, questions everywhere and right answers are hard to find.

[Guest]

"As far as pulsars go, PSR B1509-58 appears young. Light from the supernova explosion that gave birth to it would have first reached Earth some 1,700 years ago. ...PSR B1509-58 is about 17,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Circinus." So how far away it is 1,700 light years or 17,000 light years?

[Chris Peterson]

"As far as pulsars go, PSR B1509-58 appears young. Light from the supernova explosion that gave birth to it would have first reached Earth some 1,700 years ago. ...PSR B1509-58 is about 17,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Circinus." So how far away it is 1,700 light years or 17,000 light years?

It is 17,000 light years away. The supernova was visible here on the Earth 1,700 years ago; we are seeing this pulsar 1,700 years after its creation (which might actually be considered to have happened 18,700 years ago).

[edkal]

Does anyone else see the figure in the bottom half with flowing robes moving to the right with arms outstretched?

[BMAONE23]

It is the hand of the great creator stirring the cosmos in preporation for the big bang

[JohnD]

Hamlet: Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?
Polonius: By th' Mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed.
Hamlet: Methinks it is like a weasel.
Polonius: It is backed like a weasel.
Hamlet: Or like a whale.
Polonius: Very like a whale.

Gosh, that Shakespeare!

[Astronut]

Being with-in the Hand that Be's - How profound!!

[Guest]

"As far as pulsars go, PSR B1509-58 appears young. Light from the supernova explosion that gave birth to it would have first reached Earth some 1,700 years ago. ...PSR B1509-58 is about 17,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Circinus." So how far away it is 1,700 light years or 17,000 light years?

It is 17,000 light years away. The supernova was visible here on the Earth 1,700 years ago; we are seeing this pulsar 1,700 years after its creation (which might actually be considered to have happened 18,700 years ago).

Thanks. "Light from the supernova explosion that gave birth to it would have first reached Earth some 1,700 years ago" - was a little bit confusing.

[Guest]

This makes me think of the hand of God reaching into hell. Looks amazing.

[Glokthathrzyk]

On distance: Are you saying that the blast from the supernova reached out 15,300 light years to create the pulsar, or that something somehow propelled faster than light to become the pulsar????? An enquiring mind(?) wants to know

[emc]

matter’s well in hand... matter swells in hand

another fine APOD imagination generation image

[cmflyer]

On distance: Are you saying that the blast from the supernova reached out 15,300 light years to create the pulsar, or that something somehow propelled faster than light to become the pulsar????? An enquiring mind(?) wants to know

The light arrived 1700 years ago, but from 17,000 ly away, which means the supernova occurred 18,700 years ago. The pulsar is the star's remnant.

[Chris Peterson]

On distance: Are you saying that the blast from the supernova reached out 15,300 light years to create the pulsar, or that something somehow propelled faster than light to become the pulsar????? An enquiring mind(?) wants to know :P :)

The pulsar is what's left of the star that went supernova. They are in the same place, about 17,000 light years from us.

There was a massive star 17,000 light years away. 18,700 years ago it went supernova, leaving the pulsar behind. So 1,700 years ago the light from the supernova reached the Earth, and since then we have been able to see the pulsar that was created after the supernova.

[thearborist]

Perhaps that’s the hand of Sauron, missing a finger or two, reaching for a ring of fire......

[tesla]

If the Chandra image spans 100 light years, then the so called pulsar is more than 20klms in diameter. Spinning 7 times a second? Please! Even if it is, at that rotation speed it would fly apart, simple mechanical theory. That's unless you invent mythical elements that aren't effected by the forces generated. A measurement of the xrays says 7 times a second. That does not necessarily mean spin!

[Amir]

...That does not necessarily mean spin!

they are extremely dense actually, Wikipedia says 5.5×10^12 kg per one teaspoon of them. this results in a escape velocity of about 100,000 km/s, which may prevent flying apart.
but yes, they do not necessarily spin. see this Image Tour about Crab nebula by Hubble Site which also mentions the neutron star inside of it.

[Chris Peterson]

If the Chandra image spans 100 light years, then the so called pulsar is more than 20klms in diameter. Spinning 7 times a second? Please! Even if it is, at that rotation speed it would fly apart, simple mechanical theory.

Please describe this "simple mechanical theory" you are referring to. You are apparently making some sort of assumption about the material strength of a neutron star that is different from the assumptions of the entire scientific community. Here's a hint about how to approach this question: consider the gravitational force experienced by a particle on the surface, and compare it to the centrifugal force due to rotation.

At seven rotations per second, this pulsar is very much at the slow end of things (in fact, I don't know of a slower rotator than this one). The fastest pulsar rotates 100 times faster. That this class of pulsars is caused by rotating neutron stars is established beyond reasonable doubt.

[Chris Peterson]

but yes, they do not necessarily spin. see this Image Tour about Crab nebula by Hubble Site which also mentions the neutron star inside of it.

All pulsars are rapidly rotating objects, including the one at the center of the Crab nebula. Rotation only powers one class of pulsar, but all pulsars derive their periodicity from rotation.

[zbvhs]

The text says the pulsar is in the bright central region. Which bright central region? The blue high-energy one at the bottom or the yellow low-energy one at the top?

[Chris Peterson]

The text says the pulsar is in the bright central region. Which bright central region? The blue high-energy one at the bottom or the yellow low-energy one at the top?

It is in the center of the blue high energy x-ray region.

[Amir]

All pulsars are rapidly rotating objects, including the one at the center of the Crab nebula. Rotation only powers one class of pulsar, but all pulsars derive their periodicity from rotation.

sure they all rotate, it's one their characteristics.
yes my sentence was wrong. what i meant was that the 7times/sec pulses may not be necessarily because of the rotation around the axis of rotation; they may be the result of another motion like Precession.
could it be?

[tesla]

If the Chandra image spans 100 light years, then the so called pulsar is more than 20klms in diameter. Spinning 7 times a second? Please! Even if it is, at that rotation speed it would fly apart, simple mechanical theory.

Please describe this "simple mechanical theory" you are referring to. You are apparently making some sort of assumption about the material strength of a neutron star that is different from the assumptions of the entire scientific community. Here's a hint about how to approach this question: consider the gravitational force experienced by a particle on the surface, and compare it to the centrifugal force due to rotation.

At seven rotations per second, this pulsar is very much at the slow end of things (in fact, I don't know of a slower rotator than this one). The fastest pulsar rotates 100 times faster. That this class of pulsars is caused by rotating neutron stars is established beyond reasonable doubt.

7revolutions per second on a 20klm diameter object gives a surface speed of 220klm/sec or almost 800,000klms /hour. Like I said, you have to have mythical material to keep it from flying apart.
It is not established beyond reasonable doubt, it is only a current theory, based on known facts at present. A theory is not scientific fact