Chandra Release - March 29, 2007

Visual Description: 3C442A

 This is an X-ray and radio image of 3C442A, two merging galaxies. The image depicts a pair of bright, circular objects that appear to be interacting with each other in the center of the frame. The center of the object is a strong blue with bright white dots and a diffuse cloud of softer blue all around the image, with orange structures on each side of the blue core. The stretched out, irregular, dumbbell-like shape of the overall object is subtle. The X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is blue, and radio observations from the NSF's Very Large Array are in orange.  The data show that a role reversal is taking place in the middle of 3C442A. Chandra detects hot gas that has been pushing aside the radio-bright gas. This is the opposite of what is typically found in these systems when jets from the supermassive black hole in the center create cavities in the hot gas surrounding the galaxy. Astronomers believe an impending merger with another galaxy has caused the unusual dynamics in this system.