Astronomy Journal Entry
Pulsar Linked to Supernova (January 19, 2001)
Chandra X-Ray Observatory view of pulsar (in center) believed linked to supernova seen by ancient Chinese astronomers. NASA.
Astronomers have found evidence of a pulsar, an extremely dense neutron star, that may be linked to a spectacular supernova explosion seen by Chinese astronomers in 386 A.D.
If the evidence is confirmed, it would be only the second pulsar known to be related to a supernova seen in the past. The first was found in 1968 in the Crab Nebula, the expanding shell of gas and particles leftover from a supernova explosion seen by the Chinese in 1054.
The pulsar has been observed by the Earth-orbiting Chandra X-Ray Observatory. It spins at a rate of 14 times per second and emits flashes of x-rays. The pulsar is located in the center of the debris of the supernova in the constellation Sagittarius, about 15,000 light years from Earth.
