On July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray space telescope began its journey. The orbiting telescope launched aboard Space Shuttle Columbia and was named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. While originally only intended to be operational for five years, Chandra has spent 25 years floating in space, transmitting useful scientific insights and becoming a stalwart source of astronomy research.
To commemorate Chandra’s quarter-century anniversary, NASA has released 25 new images created with data from the X-ray Observatory. The space agency also provided vivid descriptions of the imagery so you can grasp the magnitude of Chandra’s extraordinary deep space observations.
In this composite image of Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun is set against the blackness of space, flanked by neon purple blobs. Here, Jupiter is presented in exceptionally clear focus. More than a dozen bands of swirling gas streak the surface, each a different texture and shade of grey. The gas giant is encircled by a fine, sky-blue ring, the same color as the large storm which swirls on its surface at our lower right. At the top edge of Jupiter, tilted just to our right of center, is a neon purple strip. A similar, smaller line of neon purple can be found at the bottom edge of the planet. Capping the planet’s magnetic poles, these purple strips represent X-ray auroras, created when high-energy particles collide with gas in the planet’s atmosphere. At our right and left, large hazy blobs of neon purple flank Jupiter, some larger than the gas giant itself. Like the auroras, these purple clouds represent X-rays observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, S. WolkThis composite image features the remnant of a supernova explosion, which resembles a neon purple mushroom at the heart of a colorful web of veins and filaments. Known as the Crab Nebula, the heavily veined blue and red cloud of gas is set against the blackness of space. At the core of the nebula is a pulsar, a rotating neutron star emitting electromagnetic radiation. Here, the pulsar appears as a bright white dot sitting in a neon purple cloud. Surrounding the dot are white rings. These are created by particles driven away from the pulsar and colliding with gas in the nebula to produce X-rays. From this angle, the rings and purple cloud combine to resemble a mushroom cap. Completing the look of a mushroom is a thin mushroom stem emerging from the white dot. This is a narrow beam of particles blasting away from the pulsar. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand and L. FrattareThis composite image features a region of star formation known as the Pillars of Creation. Here, tall columns of grey gas and dust emerge from the bottom edge of the image, stretching toward our upper right. Backed by dark orange and pink mist, the cloudy grey columns are surrounded by dozens of soft, glowing, dots in whites, reds, blues, yellows, and purples. These dots are young stars emitting X-ray and infrared light. Churning with turbulent gas and dust, the columns lean to our right with small offshoots pointing in the same direction. The misty glow, colorful stars, and lifelike grey dust formations combine to create an image of yearning cloud creatures at dusk, reaching for something just out of frame. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXO/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. FrattareIn this composite image, several pink and white stars gleam through murky cloud formations. These are young stars detected by Chandra. At our lower right, an opaque cloud resembling a veined slug rises out of a muddy brown mist. Blue and grey clouds with hints of brown stretch from our lower left, to our upper right. There, near the upper righthand corner, two long black triangles appear to burst from a central gleaming star. These triangles are in fact shadows from the young star, cast on distant blue and grey clouds. The eerie shape, reminiscent of the Batman call sign projected against a cloudy Gotham sky, has earned the phenomenon the nickname The Bat Shadow. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. MajorIn this composite image, a supermassive black hole at the center of the Centaurus A galaxy shoots an enormous jet of particles into a star-packed sky. Here, Centaurus A resembles an inky purple cloud sitting atop a translucent red cloud. At the heart of the combined cloud structure is the black hole, a brilliant white dot that lights the clouds from within. The jet emerges from this dot, a speckled white and purple beam shooting toward our upper left. Surrounding the entire galaxy is a faint translucent blue bubble shape, which is most pronounced at our lower right. This bubble was created by the jets from the black hole. Both the jets and the bubble are detected by Chandra. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: ESO; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, J. MajorIn this composite image, a large spiral galaxy has some of its superheated gas stolen by a smaller, nearby neighbor. Centered in the frame, NGC 6872 is a large spiral galaxy with two elongated arms that stretch toward our upper right and lower left. Near the white dot at the heart of the galaxy, a cloud of neon purple tints the arms, which appear steel blue at the tips. The purple represents hot gas detected by Chandra. Just to the upper left of NGC 6872 is a second spiral galaxy. Its spiraling arms are much smaller, but the bright white dot at its core is quite large, suggesting a supermassive black hole. Some of the steel blue matter and gas from NGC 6872’s lower arm appears to be floating toward the smaller galaxy, likely pulled toward the supermassive black hole. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, L. Frattare, and J. MajorThis composite image features a double star cluster, a blue-tinted cloud, and several neon purple dots. This double cluster is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a companion galaxy to the Milky Way. The bright, golden stars in the larger cluster fill the upper center of the image. The other cluster is much smaller and coincides with one of the neon purple circles located slightly above and to the right of the image’s center. This and the other purple circles are X-ray sources detected with Chandra. To our left of the combined cluster is a vertical streak of blue-tinted cloud. Extending beyond the upper and lower edges of the image, this section of cloud resembles wafting smoke from a cigarette. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, K. ArcandIn this composite image of the Cat’s Paw nebula, brilliant red and purple clouds blanket a black sky packed with stars. Throughout this star-forming region of the Milky Way, distinct pockets of glowing, brick red clouds are linked by wisps of purple. A cluster of the brightest stars in the image are found in the heart of the nebula. Many are neon purple, with glowing white dots at their core, representing young stars observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/SAO/CXC; Optical and H-alpha: ESO/MPG; Infrared: NASA/JPL-CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: Jason MajorIn this composite image, a pulsar, a pulsar wind nebula, and a low energy X-ray cloud combine to create an uncanny scene of a skeletal hand preparing to grab a glowing ember. The hand reaches up from the bottom of the image, the ghostly blue flesh and white bones representing pulsar wind nebula X-rays observed by Chandra. A bright white spot in the wrist is the pulsar itself. Just beyond the hand’s fingertips, near our upper right, is a mottled yellow and orange shape that appears to glow from within. This is the low energy X-ray cloud observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DECaPS; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. SchmidtAstronomers nicknamed this region of star formation the “Cosmic Cliffs,” which is found in the nearby Carina Nebula. This composite image features two star clusters, viewed through a churning tunnel of golden cloud. The cloud creates a border around the entire image, like a thick swirling smoke ring. Beyond it, in the open center, is a vast field of neon purple specks. These specks are young stars observed by Chandra. Within the central field, two cluster groupings are suggested by separate swirls of faint, steel blue mist. One sits near our upper right. The other is near the bottom left, partially obscured by the golden yellow ring cloud. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Ludwig Maximilian Univ./T. Preibisch et al.; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. WolkPlanetary nebula HB 5, an end phase of a Sun-like star, was discovered by famous astronomer Edwin Hubble. This composite image of the planetary nebula HB 5 resembles a bulbous bow tie in mottled purples. At the heart of the nebula, or the knot of the bow tie, is a brilliant golden white explosion. This is a Sun-like star towards the end of its life. To its right and left are matching bulbous spheres of churning purple gas. Each sphere of gas is several times larger than the exploding knot between them. Also present in the nebula are faint clouds in neon blue and mustard yellow. The blue cloud, most prominent at our upper left, represents X-rays observed by Chandra. The mustard yellow cloud, which surrounds the exploding star, represents radio waves observed by ALMA. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Radio: NSF/ESO/NRAO/ALMA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, J. MajorOne of the closest regions of star formation to Earth, newly-formed stars in the Orion Nebula are detected by Chandra. In this composite image, a collection of neon pink and white stars gleam through a haze of wispy clouds. The young stars range in size from tiny specks to plump circles. Many have white cores and are surrounded by neon pink rings, identifying stars detected by Chandra. Some display long, ruler-straight diffraction spikes. Near the upper right of the image is a burst of red cloud that resembles a thick shock of hair. Both the red burst and the collection of stars are muted by hazy clouds, as if viewed through wafting smoke rising out of a campfire. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand and L. FrattareThis composite image features a pair of merging galaxies, each resembling a brilliant white dot, earning the pair the nickname ‘The Eyes’. Near our lower left is the galaxy NGC 4438. This bright white dot is surrounded by a neon purple cloud of hot gas seen with Chandra. An inky black cloud nestled in a vertical strip of haze partially blocks our view of the neon purple, superheated gas. At our upper right is the second galaxy, NGC 4435. This bright white dot is surrounded by a thin, neon purple ring. The galaxy sits in the center of a glowing white streak, at the heart of a misty white pool. Flecks of white and neon purple speckle the image, set against the blackness of space. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: ESO; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. MajorThe center of our Milky Way is blocked by gas and dust in many types of light, but X-rays can penetrate and reveal threads of superheated gas and bursts from our galaxy’s supermassive black hole. This composite image features a row of bright spots and translucent swirls, set against a backdrop of purple and red clouds and stars. The clouds show hot gas seen with Chandra. The translucent threads, which are mysterious sources of radio waves, create clusters, streaks, and ribbons. Several of these distinct shapes resemble smoke trails captured on film. While most of the distinct swirls and bright spots sit in an orderly row across the middle of the image, one very bright spot sits at our lower righthand corner. This is the area around Sagittarius C, a bright star forming region, which here resembles a golden white orb ringed with hints of green. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF/SARAO/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. WolkThis composite image features a spiral galaxy, viewed face on. Here, two blue and red speckled arms spiral around a black hole at the heart of the galaxy, known as NGC 7469. Faint clouds of pale blue mist trace the lines of the speckled arms, muting the colors in the image. Here, the black hole at the center of the galaxy is represented by a bright white dot encircled by a mottled, neon purple ring. This dot and ring represent X-ray emission from hot gas around the black hole. Due to the perfect face-on angle, six red diffraction spikes radiate from the glowing black hole, like laser beams. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Xiamen Univ./X. Xu; Optical/Infrared: NASA/ESA/UVA, NRAO, SUNY at Stony Brook/A. S. Evans, Hubble Heritage–ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/L. Armus, A. S. Evans; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
View the full Chandra 25th anniversary gallery here.
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