Chandra X-ray Observatory marks 20th anniversary with new astro images
Chandra X-ray Observatory marks 20th anniversary with new astro images
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has been observing the cosmos for 20 years. To mark the occasion, astronomers have released some of the most beautiful astro images captured by the telescope yet.
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space on 23 July 1999 on board Space Shuttle Columbia. Over the past two decades it has given us unprecedented views of nebulae, galaxies and other cosmic phenomena, revealing the secrets of the Universe to astronomers.
Observing the cosmos in X-ray light enables Chandra to see objects and phenomena that would otherwise be obscured from view, enabling discoveries pertaining to the past, present and future of the Universe.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Chandra team has released a collection of new images captured by the telescope, demonstrating its ability to produce beautiful but also scientifically-important observations.
Abell 2146 This object is the result of a merger of two galaxy clusters. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity, and it's thought that these objects grow so big through collisions. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Waterloo/H. Russell et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI
Galactic Centre This is the centre of the Milky Way, our home Galaxy. The Milky Way contains a supermassive black hole about four million times the mass of the Sun. Credit: X-Ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/D. Wang et al.; Radio: SARAO/MeerKAT
30 Doradus Also known as the Tarantula Nebula, this is one of the largest star-forming regions near the Milky Way. Chandra can observe gas that is being heated to millions of degrees by the streams of charged particles released by hot young stars, known as 'stellar winds'. Credit: NASA/CXC/Penn State Univ./L. Townsley et al.
Cygnus OB2 This region contains massive stars - even more massive than our Sun - that shoot high-energy stellar winds into the surrounding area, hitting cosmic gas and dust and generating vast amounts of energy that Chandra can detect in X-ray. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Drake et al; Optical:Univ. of Hertfordshire/INT/IPHAS; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Spitzer
NGC 604 Star-forming region NGC 604 is contained within galaxy Messier 33. About 200 hot, young, massive stars live in this region. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Arkansas/K. Garofali et al.; Optical: NASA/AURA/STScI/J. Schmidt
G292.0 1.8 When stars explode as a supernova, they leave behind objects known as supernova remnants. This one is a rare type that contains large amounts of oxygen. Credit: NASA/CXC/University of Texas/J. Bhalerao et al.
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor. He fell in love with the night sky when he caught his first glimpse of Orion, aged 10.
A selection of images released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/D. Wang et al.; Radio: SARAO/MeerKAT
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