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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                 2025 September 3   
      A nebula is shown that appears roughly the shape of Africa. The complex   
       radio image shows rings and jets. Please see the explanation for more   
                               detailed information.   
      
                        Cir X-1: Jets in the Africa Nebula   
      Image Credit: J. English (U. Manitoba) & K. Gasealahwe (U. Cape Town),   
         SARAO, MeerKAT, ThunderKAT; Science: K. Gasealahwe, K. Savard (U.   
                   Oxford) et al.; Text: J. English & K. Savard   
      
      Explanation: How soon do jets form when a supernova gives birth to a   
      neutron star? The Africa Nebula provides clues. This supernova remnant   
      surrounds Circinus X-1, an X-ray emitting neutron star and the   
      companion star it orbits. The image, from the ThunderKAT collaboration   
      on the MeerKAT radio telescope situated in South Africa, shows the   
      bright core-and-lobe structure of Cir X-1CÇÖs currently active jets   
      inside the nebula. A mere 4600 years old, Cir X-1 could be the "Little   
      Sister" of microquasar SS 433*. However, the newly discovered bubble   
      exiting from a ring-like hole in the upper right of the nebula, along   
      with a ring to the bottom left, demonstrate that other jets previously   
      existed. Computer simulations indicate those jets formed within 100   
      years of the explosion and lasted up to 1000 years. Surprisingly, to   
      create the observed bubble, the jets need to be more powerful than   
      young neutron stars were previously thought to produce.   
      
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                        Tomorrow's picture: spiral on edge   
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