NuSTAR's View of Andromeda

Nustar_nustar160105b_1024

nustar_nustar160105b January 5th, 2016

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscope Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has imaged a swath of the Andromeda galaxy -- the nearest large galaxy to our own Milky Way galaxy.

NuSTAR's view of Andromeda shows high-energy X-rays coming mostly from X-ray binaries, which are pairs of stars in which one "dead" member feeds off its companion. The dead member of the pair is either a black hole or neutron star. NuSTAR can pick up even the faintest of these objects, providing a better understanding of their population, as a whole, in Andromeda. The findings ultimately help astronomers gather clues about similar objects in the very distant universe.

Provider: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

Image Source: https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar160105b

Curator: NuSTAR: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, Pasadena, CA

Image Use Policy: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 M31
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance

Universescale2
2,500,000 light years
Nustar_nustar160105b_128
 

Position Details

Position (FK5)
RA = 0h 44m 2.4s
DEC = 41° 24’ 57.6”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
49.2 x 37.7 arcminutes
Constellation
Andromeda

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue NuSTAR X-ray 77.5 pm
Green NuSTAR X-ray 155.0 pm
Red NuSTAR X-ray 248.0 pm
Spectrum_xray1w
Blue
Green
Red
Nustar_nustar160105b_1280
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ID
nustar160105b
Subject Category
C.5.1.1  
Subject Name
Andromeda Galaxy, Messier 31, M31
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC
Release Date
2016-01-05
Lightyears
2,500,000
Redshift
2,500,000
Reference Url
https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar160105b
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
NuSTAR, NuSTAR, NuSTAR
Instrument
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
X-ray, X-ray, X-ray
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
0.07749, 0.15498, 0.24797
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
FK5
Equinox
2000
Reference Value
11.0100, 41.4160
Reference Dimension
1200, 920
Reference Pixel
600.5, 448.5
Scale
-6.8280763447E-4, 6.8280763447E-4
Rotation
0.0
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NuSTAR: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array
URL
http://www.nustar.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
Country
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
Publisher ID
nustar
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-07-04T04:51:10Z
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
2,500,000 light years

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