Images by Date
Images by Category
Solar System
Stars
Exoplanets
White Dwarfs
Supernovas
Neutron Stars
Black Holes
Milky Way Galaxy
Normal Galaxies
Quasars
Galaxy Clusters
Cosmology/Deep Field
Miscellaneous
Images by Interest
Space Scoop for Kids
4K JPG
Multiwavelength
Sky Map
Constellations
Photo Blog
Top Rated Images
Image Handouts
Desktops
Fits Files
Image Tutorials
Photo Album Tutorial
False Color
Cosmic Distance
Look-Back Time
Scale & Distance
Angular Measurement
Images & Processing
AVM/Metadata
Image Use Policy
Web Shortcuts
Chandra Blog
RSS Feed
Chronicle
Email Newsletter
News & Noteworthy
Image Use Policy
Questions & Answers
Glossary of Terms
Download Guide
Get Adobe Reader
More Images of Abell 2142
1
Click for large jpg X-ray
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg X-ray Inset
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg Optical
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg X-ray &
Optical
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg X-ray/Optical Inset
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg Illustrated Version
Jpeg, Tif
Click for large jpg Labeled Galaxies
Jpeg, Tif
X-ray and Optical Images of Abell 2142
Astronomers have used Chandra data to capture a dramatic image of an enormous tail of hot gas. This tail stretches for more than a million light years behind a group of galaxies that is falling into the depths of an even-larger cluster of galaxies. The left panel shows a wide-field view of the entire system while the right is a close-up view of the infalling galaxy group. In this composite, Chandra data (purple) have been combined with optical data (red, green, and blue). Discoveries like this help astronomers learn about the environment and conditions under which the Universe's biggest structures evolve.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Geneva, D. Eckert. Optical: SDSS provided by CDS through Aladin.)

Return to Abell 2142 (September 27, 2018)