Credit: X-ray (blue): NASA/CXC/Northwestern/F.Zadeh et al.; Millimeter Wavelength (green): Nobeyama/M.Tsuboi; Radio (red): NRAO/VLA F.Zadeh et al.

This Chandra image of an X-ray filament and cloud about 40 light years across (blue inset) was made during an observation of a region of the Galactic Center. These X-ray features are associated with large filamentary and shell-like structures that are bright sources of radio waves (red). The X-rays are thought to be produced when energetic electrons from the radio filaments collide with a cloud of cold gas that has a mass one million times the mass of the Sun.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/gradioarc/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html