Creepy Cosmic Hand Touches Stellar Blast

Most of the time, the images we get back from spacecraft and telescopes are beautiful. Sometimes they’re meh or boring. Occasionally, they are downright creepy. Early in this century, astronomers using the Chandra X-Ray observatory spotted a structure made of hot gas that looks like a creepy hand generated by your favorite special effects company.

The pulsar B1509–58, the gas it illuminates, and a ring that expands over time. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al.