Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/R. Voss et al.; Optical: NASA/Swift

Chandra's X-ray image (left), obtained in 2003, shows the same field-of-view on the sky as an optical view from the Swift satellite from November 2007 (right). An X-ray source appears close, but not exactly aligned, to where the supernova was detected. A progenitor to such a Type Ia supernova has never been detected, but would provide answers to important questions about the exact configuration and trigger for these explosions. Further observations are needed to determine whether this X-ray source is the progenitor of SN 2007on.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/ngc1404/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html