Chandra Release - February 26, 2009

Visual Description: PSR J0108-1431

The image on the left of this two panel is an X-ray and optical image of a pulsar named PSR J0108-143  The dominant colors in the image are purple, red, white, and blue on a black background.   The pulsar has a lighter center and a dark looking streak to its upper left.   The composite image shows data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in purple and an optical image from the Very Large Telescope in red, blue and white. The Chandra source in the center of the image is the pulsar J0108.. The elongated object immediately to its upper right is a background galaxy that is unrelated to the pulsar. Since J0108 is located a long way from the plane of our galaxy, many distant galaxies are visible in the larger-scale optical image. Data implies that the pulsar is moving at a velocity of about 440,000 miles per hour, in the direction shown by a white arrow pointing to the lower right. On the right is an artist's impression of the pulsar on the right shows what J0108 might look like if viewed up close. In the center, there is a bright orange-red star with a textured surface. Radiation from particles spiraling around magnetic fields (in transparent yellow arcs) is shown along with heated areas around magnetic poles (a bright white concentration at the top).