A series of five new images from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory show the beauty of space as seen in the X-ray wavelength. Data from Chandra has been combined with data from other telescopes operating in the visible light and infrared wavelengths to show some of the unique features of the high-energy universe.
The images show a range of objects from the heart of the Milky Way to supernova remnants, each one combining different sets of data to create a stunning view of an object that couldn’t be perceived in this way by human eyes.
The center of our galaxy, shown above, is a busy region full of objects like massive stars, incredibly dense neutron stars, superheated clouds of gas, and a supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A*. The clouds of bright color show the presence of energy in the X-ray wavelength.
When a massive star reaches the end of its life and explodes as a supernova, the shockwave from the explosion can reach out far into space and interact with nearby dust and gas to form a supernova remnant. These shells appear around the site where the star exploded, and this image combines optical, infrared, and X-ray observations to show the different parts of the remnant like the debris and the blast wave.
This galaxy zips through space at a tremendous speed of 1.5 million miles per hour, leaving a dramatic pair of tails in its wake. As the galaxy moves, it trails superheated gas which gives off X-rays that Chandra can observe, shown in blue. The patches of red are hydrogen, which was observed in the infrared. Visible light is represented in orange and cyan.
Like our galaxy and most others, NGC 1365 also hosts a supermassive black hole at its center. This image shows the hot gas swirling around the black hole in purple, as it gradually falls in and the black hole devours it. The Chandra X-ray data is combined with infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Finally, another supernova remnant is shown here. Within the remnant is a pulsar, a type of neutron star that has a strong magnetic field and which gives off regular pulses of energy in high wavelengths like X-ray and gamma-ray. The purple glow is X-ray energy captured by Chandra, while blue light is from another X-ray telescope called IXPE. It is set over a background of stars captured in the visible light wavelength.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has set a new record
SpaceX’s Crew-8 members are finally on their way home after spending nearly eight months at the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew members were supposed to depart the ISS several weeks ago, but poor weather conditions at the splashdown site off the coast of Florida prompted mission planners to delay the homecoming. Prior to that, delays to departure were caused by measures to deal with Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft, which was docked at the station over the summer.
SpaceX recreates iconic New York City photo with Starship workers
SpaceX has given a shout-out to some of its engineers as the company prepares for its first attempt at "catching" a first-stage Super Heavy booster as it returns to Earth.
In a message accompanying two images that recreate the iconic Lunch Atop a Skyscraper photo taken in New York City in 1932, SpaceX said on X (formerly Twitter) that the engineers have spent “years” preparing for the booster catch, a feat that it’s planning to try for the first time with the upcoming fifth test flight of the Starship. It also included a photo of how the first-stage Super Heavy booster will look when clasped between the tower’s giant mechanical arms after launching the upper-stage Starship spacecraft to orbit.