Intellectually Curious

The Medulla Nebula: Inside a Brain-Shaped Supernova Remnant

Mike Breault

We peel back the pareidolia to reveal the physics of CTB 1 (G116.9+0.1): a 49-light-year remnant in Cassiopeia where radio and X-ray views tell opposite halves, shaped by an asymmetric explosion. The gas is rich in oxygen and neon, pointing to a massive progenitor, while iron tracks the explosion's uneven kick. A fast runaway pulsar, PSR J0002+6216, carries the core away, linking the remnant to a cosmic seeding event that enriches the interstellar medium and seeds future generations of stars and maybe life.


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