Chandra Images Heart of Andromeda Galaxy

Chandra_215_1024

chandra_215 January 14th, 2000

Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO

This X-ray image shows the central portion of the Andromeda Galaxy. The blue dot in the center of the image is an unusual "cool" million degree X-ray source of unknown nature. Just above this cool source is a source (yellow) that is thought to be due to X-rays from matter swirling toward a supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the galaxy. This black hole contains the mass of 30 million suns. Numerous other X-ray sources are also apparent. Most of these are probably due to X-ray binary systems, in which a neutron star or black hole is in a close orbit around a normal star.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0007/

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

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

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
M31 • Andromeda

Distance Details Distance

Universescale2
2,900,000 light years
Chandra_215_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 0h 42m 44.4s
DEC = 41° 16’ 7.3”
Orientation
North is 0.1° CW
Field of View
1.2 x 1.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Andromeda

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Pseudocolor Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
DatasetID is the Chandra Observation ID
Spectrum_xray1
Pseudocolor
Chandra_215_1280
×
ID
215
Subject Category
Subject Name
M31, Andromeda
Credits
NASA/CXC/SAO
Release Date
2000-01-14
Lightyears
2,900,000
Redshift
2,900,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0007/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
ACIS
Color Assignment
Pseudocolor
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.8267
Start Time
1999-10-13T05:16:47
Integration Time
11836
Dataset ID
303
Notes
D
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
10.6849928, 41.2686944
Reference Dimension
599.0, 504.0
Reference Pixel
300.5, 253.0
Scale
3.46359e-05, 3.4635928e-05
Rotation
-0.08
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden St.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-ray Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
0007_xray.tif
Resource URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0007/0007_xray.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2010-12-10
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
2,900,000 light years

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