"Cosmic Hand": Pulsar B1509-58 in Circinus | NASA Chandra [Budget Cancellation]

"Cosmic Hand": Pulsar B1509-58 in Circinus | NASA Chandra [Budget Cancellation]

In 2009, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory released a captivating image: a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that is shaped like a hand. Since then, astronomers have used Chandra and other telescopes to continue to observe this object. Now, new radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array has been combined with Chandra’s X-ray data to provide a fresh view of this exploded star and its environment and to help understand its unique properties.

At the center of this new image lies the pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star that is only about 12 miles in diameter. This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula—called MSH 15-52—that spans over 150 light-years, or about 900 trillion miles. The nebula, produced by energetic particles, resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in X-rays.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. NASA's science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%. NASA's total budget will become the lowest since 1961, after accounting for inflation.

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe budget cuts at NASA:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PDF) Document Download: https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/ (See Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request Summary)

The collapse of a massive star created the pulsar when much of the star crashed inward once it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. An ensuing explosion sent the star’s outer layers outward into space as a supernova.

The pulsar spins around almost seven times every second and has a strong magnetic field, about 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth’s. The rapid rotation and strong magnetic field make B1509-58 one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the Galaxy, enabling it to drive an energetic wind of electrons and other particles away from the pulsar, creating the nebula.

This new composite image from Chandra and radio data, plus an optical image, reveals complex filaments that are aligned with the directions of the nebula’s magnetic field, shown by the short straight lines when you mouse over the image. These filaments could result from the collision of the pulsar’s particle wind with the supernova’s debris.

By comparing the radio and X-ray data, researchers identified key variations between these two types of sources. This helps to reveal many unique features. There are, however, still many open questions regarding the formation and evolution of these structures. Further simulations are needed to provide a better understanding of the complex interplay between the pulsar wind and the supernova ejecta.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Aug. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Pulsars #Stars #NeutronStars #PSRB150958 #B1509 #Nebulae #MSH1552 #RCW89 #GasClouds #Circinus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #ChandraObservatory #SpaceTelescopes #XrayAstronomy #ATCA #RadioAstronomy #Australia #MSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video