Right ascension 11 24 27.9 Distance 6500 ly | Declination −59° 15′ 39″ Constellation Centaurus | |
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Notable features associated with PSR J1124-5916 Similar 3C 58, Puppis A, SN 386, Cassiopeia A, W49B | ||
G292.0+01.8 is a supernova remnant located in the constellation Centaurus. It first gained notice as a strong radio source, and eventually deep images revealed a hot optical nebula at the location. It lies about 15,000 light years away.
The most notable feature of this remnant is its spectrum. It shows no detectable lines of hydrogen and helium and the presence of only oxygen and neon. The assumption is that a massive star burned through its hydrogen, producing oxygen and neon, and exploded before processing any heavier elements. It must have taken place relatively recently, as the oxygen and neon have not yet mixed with the interstellar hydrogen. An upper limit of 1500 years has been suggested, and it must be at least a few hundred years old since there are no records from the European presence in the southern hemisphere noting a supernova at this location. Perhaps there are indigenous inscriptions or pictographs that record the event, but they have not yet been discovered or, if so, their significance not yet realized.