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NASA has released a stunning new photo of a faraway nebula that remarkably looks like a "human hand" spread out in space. The structure, discovered in 2009, continues to fascinate astronomers and space buffs alike with its spooky, almost mysterious look. The new image was created with data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory combined with radio data from the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The composite picture provides greater insight into the colossal structure, formally recognised as MSH 15-52, and sets into focus the remarkable role of its central powerhouse, a pulsar named B1509-58.

Deep within the nebula is pulsar B1509-58, a whirling neutron star that measures only approximately 12 miles (19 km) in diameter. But what it lacks in size, this cosmic star makes up for in terms of power, ranking as one of the most energetic objects in our galaxy. The pulsar spins close to seven times a second and has a magnetic field estimated at 15 trillion times stronger than Earth's. This remarkable amalgamation makes one of the galaxy's most natural power generators.

As the giant star that gave birth to B1509-58 imploded in a supernova explosion, it hurled its outer layers into space. The leftovers of the explosion, energised by the pulsar's powerful magnetic field and high speed, produced the giant nebula MSH 15-52. Spanning over 150 light-years (approximately 900 trillion miles), the nebula has the unmistakable appearance of a hand, its "palm" directed towards Earth with radiating "fingers" extending outward.

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A Hand Reaching Through Space

The similarity to a human hand is more than a coincidence of viewpoint. In X-ray light, the nebula reveals complex patterns that resemble fingers extending upwards, as if reaching for the universe. As NASA reports, some of the brightest X-ray objects such as the jet extending below the pulsar and the fingers pointing up, are not detectable in radio wavelengths. This difference implies that very energetic particles are escaping through shock waves, like the sonic boom from a supersonic aircraft, and flowing along magnetic field lines.

Insights Into Supernova Remnants

The new measurements also illuminate RCW 89, a close supernova remnant with a patchy appearance unlike common young remnants. The superimposed clusters of X-ray and radio emission give astronomers useful information about the way energy travels through the immense cosmic machines.

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To scientists, the hand-shaped nebula is more than an aesthetic wonder. It is a laboratory for researching pulsars, magnetic fields, and the intense forces released when massive stars collapse. To the general public, it provides a breathtaking reminder that the universe, all its enormities notwithstanding, sometimes reflects the familiar, even the shape of a human hand spanning across the stars.