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X-ray Telescopes Find Evidence for Wandering Black Hole

Chandra_638_1024

chandra_638 October 5th, 2016

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UNH/D.Lin et al; Optical: NASA/STScI

Using Chandra and XMM-Newton, astronomers have discovered an extremely luminous, variable X-ray source located outside the core of its parent galaxy. This black hole likely has a mass of about 100,000 Suns, and may have once been part of a smaller galaxy that merged with a larger one, leaving this black hole on the outskirts of the combined galaxy. Scientists refer to such objects as "wandering" black holes.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2016/xj1417/

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

Image Type: Observation
Object Name: XJ1417+52
Subject - Distant Universe: Galaxy > Activity > Ultraluminous; Galaxy > Component > Central Black Hole

Distance

Universescale3

4,470,000,000 light years

Chandra_638_128

Position Details

Position (ICRS): RA = 14h 17m 3.2s; DEC = 52° 25’ 0.9”
Orientation: North is up
Field of View: 2.9 x 2.0 arcminutes
Constellation: Bootes

Color Mapping

	Telescope	Spectral Band	Wavelength
	Chandra (ACIS)	X-ray (X-ray)	826.7 pm
	Hubble (WFC)	Optical (V-band)	606.0 nm
	Hubble (WFC)	Optical	-
	Hubble (WFC)	Optical (I-band)	814.0 nm

Spectrum_xray1w

Magenta

Blue

Red

Chandra_638_1280

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ID: 638
Subject Category: D.5.3.4 D.5.4.6
Subject Name: XJ1417+52
Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UNH/D.Lin et al; Optical: NASA/STScI

Release Date: 2016-10-05
Lightyears: 4,470,000,000
Redshift: 0.41827
Reference Url: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2016/xj1417/

Type: Observation
Image Quality: Good
Distance Notes

Facility: Chandra, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble
Instrument: ACIS, WFC, WFC, WFC
Color Assignment: Magenta, Blue, Green, Red

Band: X-ray, Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass: X-ray, V-band, -, I-band
Central Wavelength: 0.8267, 606, -, 814

Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes

Coordinate Frame: ICRS
Equinox: J2000
Reference Value: 214.2632918, 52.4169249
Reference Dimension: 3600.0, 2490.0

Reference Pixel: 1801.0, 1246.0
Scale: 1.33071e-05, 1.330708e-05
Rotation: 0.04
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
Email: 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: xj1417.tif

Resource URL: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2016/xj1417/xj1417.tif
Related Resources

Metadata Date: 2016-10-05T15:31:13-04:00
Metadata Version: 1.2

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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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4,470,000,000 light years

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NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The award is part of NASA’s Science Activation program, which strives to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages.