Chandra Captures Galaxy Sparkling in X-rays
chandra_570 June 3rd, 2014
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wesleyan Univ./R.Kilgard, et al; Optical: NASA/STScI
This image contains nearly a million seconds worth of Chandra observing time (purple) along with optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). The X-ray data reveal hundreds of point-like sources, most of which are X-ray binary systems (XRBs) containing a neutron star or black hole in orbit with a star like the Sun. Researchers are studying the XRBs in M51, a.k.a. the "Whirlpool Galaxy," to better understand the role they play in the evolution of the galaxy.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m51/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
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Image Details
Distance
Position Details
Color Mapping
- ID
- 570
- Subject Category
- C.5.1.1 C.5.1.7 C.5.4.7 C.5.5.1
- Subject Name
- Whirlpool Galaxy, M51
- Credits
- X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wesleyan Univ./R.Kilgard, et al; Optical: NASA/STScI
- Release Date
- 2014-06-03
- Lightyears
- 30,000,000
- Redshift
- 30,000,000
- Reference Url
- http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m51/
- Type
- Observation
- Image Quality
- Good
- Distance Notes
- Facility
- Chandra, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble
- Instrument
- ACIS, ACS/WFC, ACS/WFC, ACS/WFC
- Color Assignment
- Purple, Blue, Green, Red
- Band
- X-ray, Optical, Optical, Optical
- Bandpass
- X-ray, B-band, V-band, H-alpha
- Central Wavelength
- 0.8267, 435, 555, 658
- Start Time
- Integration Time
- Dataset ID
- Notes
- Coordinate Frame
- ICRS
- Equinox
- J2000
- Reference Value
- 202.4682856, 47.2134616
- Reference Dimension
- 2384.0, 3600.0
- Reference Pixel
- 1193.0, 1801.0
- Scale
- 4.44411e-05, 4.4441128e-05
- Rotation
- -0.03
- Coordinate System Projection:
- TAN
- Quality
- Full
- FITS Header
- Notes
- WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
- Creator (Curator)
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
- URL
- http://chandra.harvard.edu
- Name
- Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
- cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
- Telephone
- 617.496.7941
- Address
- 60 Garden St.
- City
- Cambridge
- State/Province
- MA
- Postal Code
- 02138
- Country
- USA
- Rights
- http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
- Publisher
- Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
- Publisher ID
- chandra
- Resource ID
- m51.tif
- Resource URL
- http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m51/m51.tif
- Related Resources
- Metadata Date
- 2014-06-03T13:53:27-04:00
- Metadata Version
- 1.2
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
