Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Leiden Univ./A. Botteon et al.; Radio: LOFAR/ASTRON; Optical/IR:PanSTARRS

A new image of the galaxy cluster Abell 1775 contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), optical data from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii (blue, yellow, and white), and radio data from the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) in the Netherlands (red). A tail from the merged cluster is seen, along with a region of gas with a curved edge, called a "cold front", that is denser and cooler than the gas it is plowing into. The tail and the cold front all curve in the same direction, creating a spiral appearance. These features are the result of two galaxy clusters — the largest structures held together by gravity — crashing into one another, one of the most energetic events in the Universe.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2021/a1775/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html