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FOR RELEASE: June 5, 2003

PHOTO NO.: STScI-PRC03-16

SUPERNOVA SHOCK WAVE PAINTS COSMIC PORTRAIT

Remnants from a star that exploded thousands of years ago created a
celestial abstract portrait, as captured in this NASA Hubble Space
Telescope image of the Pencil Nebula. Officially known as NGC 2736,
the Pencil Nebula is part of the huge Vela supernova remnant, located
in the southern constellation Vela. Discovered by Sir John Herschel
in the 1840s, the nebula's linear appearance triggered its popular
name. The nebula's shape suggests that it is part of the supernova
shock wave that recently encountered a region of dense gas. It is
this interaction that causes the nebula to glow, appearing like a
rippled sheet.

The Hubble Heritage Team used the Advanced Camera for Surveys in
October 2002 to observe the nebula. The region of the Pencil Nebula
captured in this image is about three fourths of a light-year across.
The Vela supernova remnant is 114 light-years (35 parsecs) across.
The remnant is about 815 light-years (250 parsecs) away from our
solar system.

Image Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: W. Blair (JHU) and D. Malin (David Malin Images)

To see and read more about the Pencil Nebula, please click on
http://hubblesite.org/news/2003/16
http://heritage.stsci.edu/2003/16

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is operated by the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA),
for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of
international cooperation between NASA and the European Space
Agency (ESA).

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