ESA Science & Technology - XMM-Newton image of supernova remnant W44

This image shows the supernova remnant W44 (SNR W44) as viewed by ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory at X-ray wavelengths.

The image illustrates the hot gas that fills the supernova remnant's expanding shell and gives off large amounts of X-rays. These appear in the image as the dark blue and light blue clouds that fill the bubble, and correspond to lower-energy (1.2-2 keV) and higher-energy (2-8 keV) X-rays.

Also visible in this X-ray view of SNR W44 is the pulsar PSR 1853+01, which most likely derives from the core of the supernova's progenitor star. The pulsar can be seen as the bright point source towards the top left of the remnant.

With both a glowing, expanding shell (which can be detected at far-infrared and radio wavelengths) and the hot, X-ray emitting gas that fills it, SNR W44 is classified as a mixed-morphology supernova remnant.