How A Dead Star Carved The “Hand of God” In Space

The above four-panel display shows radio, optical, X-ray, and composite images of the same region of space: the supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula known colloquially as the “Hand of God.” Located 17,000 light-years away and spanning an impressive 150 light-years across, it’s one of the youngest and yet largest supernova remnants ever found. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Hong Kong/S. Zhang et al.; Radio: ATNF/CSIRO/ATCA; H-alpha: UK STFC/Royal Observatory Edinburgh; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Located 17,000 light-years away, a very special nebula, carved by a young, pulsing, rapidly spinning neutron star, looks like an enormous cosmic hand, reaching out through the void.

But this isn’t a cosmic hand at all: it’s a region of interstellar space filled with cosmic particles, heated and energized by the surrounding environment, with a special role played by the young pulsar.

An enormous amount of physics is at play to create a spectacular sight like this, and thanks to a wide suite of ground-based and space-based observatories, we’re finally piecing it all together.

(Source: Big Think)