|
|
Animations & Video
Normal Galaxies & Starburst Galaxies
 |  | Animation of Spiral Galaxy
This animation depicts a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way where hot X-ray-emitting gas emanates from regions of recent star formation in the galaxy's disk. |
|  |
 |
Tour of M81
QuicktimeMPEG
Audio Only
This image of the mammoth spiral galaxy M81, located about 12 million light years away, contains data from four different NASA satellites. First we see infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, followed by optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The Galex Satellite shows us what M81 looks like in ultraviolet emission. And finally, x-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals what is going on at higher energies. At the center of M81, there is a supermassive black hole that is about 70 million times more massive than the sun. A new study involving Chandra and other telescopes helps astronomers better understand how this black hole is growing.
[Runtime: 0:43]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wisconsin/D.Pooley & CfA/A.Zezas; Optical: NASA/ESA/CfA/A.Zezas; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA/J.Huchra et al.; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Tour of NGC 4258
QuicktimeMPEG
Audio Only
The galaxy NGC 4258 has its arms crossed. At least it appears that it does. A composite image of NGC 4258, about 25 million light-years from Earth, shows an X-shaped pattern when seen in different types of light. Infrared radiation from the Spitzer Space Telescope and optical light data from the Digitized Sky Survey show one set of arms, which are made from stars and dust from the galaxy. However, x-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio emission from the Very Large Array reveal a different pair of arms. These dislocated arms are the result of shockwaves, generated by the giant black hole in the center of NGC 4258.
[Runtime: 043]
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Maryland/A.S. Wilson et al.; Optical: Pal.Obs. DSS; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech; VLA: NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Images of M33 X-7
QuicktimeMPEG
This sequence begins with a wide-field optical image from Kitt Peak of M33, a spiral galaxy about 3 million light years from Earth, and then zooms into a view from the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Next, the view zooms into an even smaller field, from the Hubble Space Telescope, that includes M33 X-7, the most massive known black hole to be formed from the collapse of a star. The final image is a composite
of the region around M33 X-7 that contains both the Chandra and Hubble
data.
[Runtime: 0:35]
(Kitt Peak: NOAO/AURA/NSF/T.A.Rector; Gemini: AURA/Gemini Obs./SDSU/J.Orosz et al.; HST: NASA/STScI/SDSU/J.Orosz et al.; Chandra: NASA/CXC/CfA/P.Plucinsky et al.)
|
 |
Optical and X-ray Images of NGC 1365
QuicktimeMPEG
Beginning with the optical image of NGC 1365, the view then changes to reveal Chandra's image of the central region. The bright source in the middle of the X-ray image is generated by a disk of gas about to fall into a supermassive black hole. When a dense cloud within NGC 1365 passed in front of the black hole and disk, high-energy X-rays from the disk were blocked. This allowed astronomers to measure the size of the disk.
[Runtime: 0:10]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/INAF/Risaliti; Optical: ESO/VLT)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Tour of M51
QuicktimeMPEG
Audio Only
Hubble's image of M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, shows the majestic spiral arms that are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. The infrared image from Spitzer also reveals stars and the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. The dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules. An image from the GALEX
mission gives the view of M51 in ultraviolet light. Chandra detects a large number of point-like X-ray sources due to black holes and neutron stars in binary star systems. When combined, all of these observatories paint a more complete picture of the famous galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:49]
(X-ray (NASA/CXC/Wesleyan Univ./R. Kilgard); UV (NASA/JPL-Caltech); Optical (NASA/ESA/S. Beckwith & The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)); IR (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/R. Kennicutt))
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Tour of M82
QuicktimeMPEG
Audio Only
When seen in visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope, M82 looks like an ordinary spiral galaxy. However, looking at it through the Spitzer Space Telescope in infrared radiation, we see a startlingly different picture with material being blasted from the galaxy’s disk. X-ray data from Chandra reveal scorching gas that has been heated to millions of degrees by this violent outburst. The composite image of all of these different data reveals the true nature of this galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:35]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/JHU/D.Strickland; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/AURA/The Hubble Heritage Team; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of AZ/C. Engelbracht)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Tour of Sombrero
QuicktimeMPEG
Audio Only
We begin with the Hubble Space Telescope’s optical light view of the Sombrero galaxy, also known as M104. Sombrerois one of the largest galaxies in the nearby Virgo cluster, about 28 million light years from Earth. Some of the prominent features of the Sombrero, which are highlighted in Hubble’s image, include its large bulge of stars in the center and the thick band of dust that appears as the dark lane across the galaxy’s mid-section. Like the Milky Way, Sombrero is a spiral galaxy. However, we see Sombrero edge-on from our vantage point from Earth, rather than the face-down perspective that is more familiar. A Great Observatories view of the same Sombrero reveals different aspects of the galaxy. The X-ray image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory shows hot gas in the galaxy that appears as a diffuse glow that extends over 60,000 light years from the Sombrero’s center. Also, Chandra detects many point-like sources of X-ray emission that are mostly stars within Sombrero but some are quasars in the distant background. The rim of dust that blocks the starlight in the Hubble image glows brightly in the Spitzer Space Telescope’s infrared image. Also, the central bulge of stars strongly emits infrared emission detected by Spitzer.
[Runtime: 1:22]
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/UMass/Q.D.Wang et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI/AURA/Hubble Heritage; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. AZ/R.Kennicutt/SINGS Team)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
Gallery of X-ray and Optical Images of Elliptical Galaxies
QuicktimeMPEG
A sample from the new Chandra study shows how the X-ray emission (blue and white) is much different from the optical images, thus revealing unsuspected turmoil in these old, elliptical galaxies. Astronomers believe that massive clouds of hot gas in these galaxies have been stirred up by intermittent explosive activity from centrally located supermassive black holes.
[Runtime: 0:34]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/U. Ohio/T.Statler & S.Diehl; Optical: DSS TRT)
Related Chandra Images:
|
 |
M82 - Great Observatories (Annotated)
QuicktimeMPEG
Images from three of NASA's Great Observatories were combined to create a spectacular, multiwavelength view of the starburst galaxy M82. Chandra's X-ray image reveals gas heated to millions of degrees by the violent outflow, which can be traced back to vigorous star formation in the central regions of the galaxy. The burst of star formation is thought to have been initiated by a close encounter with a large nearby galaxy, M81, about 100 million years ago. The Spitzer Space Telescope infrared image shows a remarkably different picture, one where cool gas and dust are being ejected out of the galaxy's disk. Optical light from stars in the Hubble Space Telescope image shows the disk of the modest-sized, apparently normal galaxy. Another Hubble observation designed to image 10,000 degree Celsius hydrogen gas also reveals matter blasting out of the galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:21]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/JHU/D.Strickland; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/AURA/The Hubble Heritage Team; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of AZ/C. Engelbracht)
Related Chandra Images:
|
|
M82 - Great Observatories (Not Annotated)
QuicktimeMPEG
Images from three of NASA's Great Observatories were combined to create a spectacular, multiwavelength view of the starburst galaxy M82. Chandra's X-ray image reveals gas heated to millions of degrees by the violent outflow, which can be traced back to vigorous star formation in the central regions of the galaxy. The burst of star formation is thought to have been initiated by a close encounter with a large nearby galaxy, M81, about 100 million years ago. The Spitzer Space Telescope infrared image shows a remarkably different picture, one where cool gas and dust are being ejected out of the galaxy's disk. Optical light from stars in the Hubble Space Telescope image shows the disk of the modest-sized, apparently normal galaxy. Another Hubble observation designed to image 10,000 degree Celsius hydrogen gas also reveals matter blasting out of the galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:21]
(X-ray: NASA/CXC/JHU/D.Strickland; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/AURA/The Hubble Heritage Team; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of AZ/C. Engelbracht)
Related Chandra Images:
|
Having trouble viewing a movie? Make sure you update your video plug-ins. Visit our download center for help.
|
