ROSAT Highlight - Supernova Remnan Puppis A

X-ray Emission from Supernova Remnant Puppis A

Puppis-A is one of the brightest supernova remnants in the X-ray sky and has been known as such since the early years of X-ray astronomy. Puppis-A is estimated to be at a distance of ~ 6,500 light years and to be borne in a supernova event about 2,500 years ago. The X-ray morphology is dominated by some bright, compact regions, which are attributed to shocked clouds, and a large-scale decrease in surface brightness towards higher galactic latitudes (from upper left to lower right), indicating a corresponding decrease of interstellar matter. A point source close to the center has been discovered by ROSAT (c.f. the arrow), which is likely to be the neutron star remnant of the progenitor star.