Vela Pulsar
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| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Vela |
| Right ascension | 08h 35m 20.65525s |
| Declination | -45° 10' 35.1545"[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 23.6 |
| Distance= 294 (-50,+76)[2] pc, 959 (-163,+248) ly | |
| Other designations | |
The Vela Pulsar (PSR B0833-45 or PSR J0835-4510) is a radio, optical, X-ray and gamma-emitting pulsar associated with Vela Supernova Remnant, in the constellation of Vela. The association of the Vela pulsar with the Vela Supernova Remnant, made by astronomers at the University of Sydney in 1968,[1] was direct observational proof that supernovae form neutron stars.
It has a period of 89 ms (the shortest known at the time of its discovery) and the remnant from the supernova explosion is estimated to be travelling at 1,200 km/s.[3] It has the third brightest optical component of all known pulsars (V = 23.6 mag)[4] which pulses twice for every single radio pulse. The Vela pulsar is the brightest persistent object in the high energy gamma ray sky.
Note that this object has often been called Vela X, for reasons that appear historically unclear. Because of the dangerous confusion with Vela X-1 (= 4U 0900-40), a very different kind of object that happens to lie nearby, referring to it as either "Vel X" or "Vela X" seems inadvisable.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Glitch noted http://www.hartrao.ac.za/news/040707vela/index.html
- Chandra image http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/vela/index.html
- Chandra images show pronounced jet http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2003/vela_pulsar/index.html
