Chandra Image of PSR B1509-58 (IMAGE)

Chandra X-ray Center

Chandra Image of PSR B1509-58

Caption

At the center of this Chandra image, a pulsar -- only twelve miles in diameter -- is responsible for this X-ray nebula that spans 150 light years. This pulsar is spinning around almost 7 times a second and has a magnetic field at its surface estimated to be 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. This combination of rapid rotation and ultra-strong magnetic field drives an energetic wind of electrons and ions, ultimately creating the elaborate nebula seen by Chandra.

Credit

NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Slane et al.

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