IC 443 (Jellyfish Nebula)

The Jellyfish Nebula, also known by its official name IC 443, is the remnant of a supernova lying 5,000 light years from Earth. Chandra X-ray observations show that the explosion that created the Jellyfish Nebula may have also formed a peculiar object located on the southern edge of the remnant, likely a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar. When a massive star runs out of thermonuclear fuel, it implodes, forming a dense stellar core called a neutron star. The outer layers of the star collapse toward the neutron star then bounce outward in a supernova explosion. A spinning neutron star that produces a beam of radiation is called a pulsar. These 3D printable files were created by the Chandra team from the scientific 3D model, showing the ejecta in cross-section.

Data from INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo/S. Ustamujic et al.