Unveiling the true age of the 'Vela Junior' supernova remnant

The supernova remnant G266.1-1.2 has attracted considerable interest owing to its possible detection in the 1.156 MeV line of 44Ti by COMPTEL. If this controversial result is confirmed, G266.1-1.2 well deserves the 'Vela Junior' nickname, since the observed gamma-ray line flux implies a very small age (∼700 years) and distance (∼200 pc). We discuss the implications of recent X-ray observations on the SNR distance and age. Two sources were detected with BeppoSAX close to the geometrical center of G266.1-1.2. Independent of which one is the neutron star associated to G266.1-1.2, their properties imply an age of a few 10,000 years and a distance greater than one kpc. We also present a preliminary analysis of the brightest portion of the SNR shell, in which significant upper limits on the presence of X-ray emission lines are derived