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NGC 253:
Chandra Sees Wealth Of Black Holes In Star-Forming Galaxies
This Chandra X-ray image (inset)
shows the central region of the starburst galaxy known
as NGC 253 in comparison to the optical view.
Chandra detects a proportionally high number of
suspected intermediate-size black holes – a
recently discovered class of objects. NGC 253 has at
least six so-called ultraluminous (very powerful X-ray)
point sources, and Chandra shows that four of them are
located within about 3,000 light years from the
galaxy's core. This relative close distance may imply
that the ultraluminous objects -- which are usually
found slightly farther out -- are gravitating towards
the center of the galaxy.
NGC 253 is a starburst galaxy located some 8 million
light years from Earth. Starburst galaxies are regions
where stars form and explode at an unusually high rate.
Chandra observed NGC 253 with the Advanced CCD Imaging
Spectrometer (ACIS) instrument for 3.6 hours on
December 16, 1999.
| Fast Facts for NGC 253: |
| Credit |
X-ray: NASA/SAO/CXC, Optical: ESO |
| Scale |
Optical: Image is 32.4 arcmin on a side. X-ray: Image is 2.2 arcmin on a side. |
| Category |
Normal Galaxies & Starburst Galaxies |
| Coordinates (J2000) |
RA 00h 47m 33.10s | Dec -25° 17' 18 |
| Constellation |
Sculptor |
| Observation Dates |
December 16, 1999
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| Observation Time |
4 hours |
| Obs. IDs |
969
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| Instrument |
ACIS |
| Distance Estimate |
About 8 million light years |
| Release Date |
June 05, 2001 |
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