Object Analysis

The Vela Supernova Remnant is a supernova remnant in the southern constellation Vela. Its source star exploded approximately 11,000 to 12,300 years ago, located about 800 light-years away. It is one of the closest known supernova remnants to Earth.

The remnant includes the Vela Pulsar, a neutron star that was formed by the core collapse of the giant star. The pulsar spins roughly 11 times per second. The remnant itself is a vast, tangled web of glowing filaments covering 8 degrees of the sky.

Interestingly, the Vela SNR overlaps with the much larger and older Gum Nebula. It is a soft X-ray source and is one of the brightest and largest features of the X-ray sky.