G347.3−0.5A Supernova Remnant a Tapestry of Stellar Ruins
This wide-field view reveals the remains of Supernova Remnant G347.3−0.5, also catalogued as RX J1713.7−3946, in the constellation Scorpius. About 6,500 light years away, it spans an enormous 1° on the sky—twice the diameter of the full Moon—corresponding to a true size of nearly 100 light years.
The remnant is the aftermath of a massive stellar explosion that occurred roughly 1,600 years ago, its expanding shell still racing outward into the surrounding interstellar medium. Most of its structure is dominated by non-thermal synchrotron emission, produced as the shockwaves accelerate particles to near light-speed, along with faint threads of hydrogen alpha. This violent physics makes G347.3−0.5 one of the brightest and most studied remnants in X-rays and gamma rays, a key site for understanding cosmic ray acceleration.
In the optical range, subtle O III emission can be seen as diffuse teal glows against the redder hydrogen background. Unlike the sharply defined oxygen filaments in remnants such as the Veil Nebula, here the oxygen is patchy and subdued, a ghostly counterpoint to the dominant synchrotron glow.
Imaged in HOO RGB on my Planewave CDK 700 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby