Chandra Release - August 30, 2010

Visual Description: Abell 1758

The image features a galaxy cluster named Abell 1758, which appears as a bright blue and hot pink-purple object in the center of the frame. This galaxy cluster is a conglomeration of many galaxies that are held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. The galaxy cluster is shaped like an irregularly shaped cloud, with bright points of light visible in the black background. The colors of the galaxy cluster in this image are predominantly blue and pink-purple, but there are also some small white and gold stars, galaxies and other objects visible in the background.  The irregular shape of Abell 1758 is like a blurry blue tang fish draped a hot pink boa around itself.  This composite image shows the effects of a collision between two smaller galaxy clusters. Chandra X-ray data (blue) reveals hot gas in the cluster and data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in India (pink) shows huge "halos" generated by ultra-relativistic particles and magnetic fields over vast scales. Optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey are colored gold-white.