Virgo Cluster (including M86)
Hot gas detected by Chandra is being pulled away from this elliptical galaxy as it moves through a galaxy cluster at about 3 million miles per hour. X-rays from Chandra (purple) and XMM-Newton (blue); optical images from Digitized Sky Survey (red, green, and blue) and Palomar (red, green, and blue)
Visual Description:
This composite image features approximately one dozen galaxies, set against a black backdrop dotted with tiny specks of light. Some of the galaxies resemble glowing white dots. Other galaxies resemble disks, or have glowing outer rings. These galaxies are part of a galaxy cluster containing over a thousand galaxies. To our right of center is a large white and pink dot surrounded by a neon purple streak. This is the galaxy M86 traveling through the cluster at about three million miles per hour. The neon purple streak represents hot gas detected with Chandra. This hot gas is being pulled from the traveling galaxy as it collides with hot gas in the cluster.
Credit: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM) ESA; H-alpha: NoirLab/NSF/KPNO; Optical: SDSS; CalTech/Palomar; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major and K. Arcand
#NASAMarshall #NASA #astrophysics #NASAChandra #NASA #ESA
Read more about NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Virgo Cluster (including M86)
Hot gas detected by Chandra is being pulled away from this elliptical galaxy as it moves through a galaxy cluster at about 3 million miles per hour. X-rays from Chandra (purple) and XMM-Newton (blue); optical images from Digitized Sky Survey (red, green, and blue) and Palomar (red, green, and blue)
Visual Description:
This composite image features approximately one dozen galaxies, set against a black backdrop dotted with tiny specks of light. Some of the galaxies resemble glowing white dots. Other galaxies resemble disks, or have glowing outer rings. These galaxies are part of a galaxy cluster containing over a thousand galaxies. To our right of center is a large white and pink dot surrounded by a neon purple streak. This is the galaxy M86 traveling through the cluster at about three million miles per hour. The neon purple streak represents hot gas detected with Chandra. This hot gas is being pulled from the traveling galaxy as it collides with hot gas in the cluster.
Credit: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM) ESA; H-alpha: NoirLab/NSF/KPNO; Optical: SDSS; CalTech/Palomar; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major and K. Arcand
#NASAMarshall #NASA #astrophysics #NASAChandra #NASA #ESA
Read more about NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory