Hubble Sees an Unusual Neutron Star
This is a Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared-light image of the neutron star RX J0806.4-4123. Hubble detected an unusual excess of infrared radiation that might be evidence for a disk around the stellar remnant. Or it could be from a “wind” of charged particles streaming off the neutron star and slamming into gas in the interstellar medium the neutron star is plowing through.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and B. Posselt (Pennsylvania State University)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | RX J0806.4-4123 |
| Object Description | Neutron Star |
| R.A. Position | 08:06:23.3471 |
| Dec. Position | -41:22:30.179 |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The HST observations include those from program (B. Posselt) |
| Instrument | WFC3/IR |
| Exposure Dates | 11 Sep 2016 |
| Filters | F160W |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3/IR instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The color results from assigning the color orange to a monochromatic (grayscale) image. |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
