"X-ray Telescopes Unveil Ghostly Cosmic Hand's Skeletal Structure"

Astronomers have used NASA's X-ray space telescopes to reveal the magnetic field "bones" of a hand-shaped structure in space. The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observed the structure, known as MSH 15-52, for about 17 days, providing the first map of its magnetic field. The high degree of polarization in many sections of the structure suggests a consistent and straight magnetic field with little turbulence. The findings also indicate that particles move to regions with uniform magnetic fields after receiving an energy boost in turbulent areas close to the pulsar at the base of the structure.