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More Images of Chandra Archive Collection
1
Image of Chandra Archives Images
To celebrate American Archive Month 2013 this October, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released eight never-before-seen images from its archive. The Chandra Data Archive plays a central role in the Chandra mission by enabling the astronomical community - as well as the greater public - access to data collected by the observatory.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO)

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X-ray & Optical Images of G266.2-1.2
G266.2-1.2 was produced by the explosion of a massive star in the Milky Way galaxy. A Chandra observation of this supernova remnant reveals the presence of extremely high-energy particles produced as the shock wave from this explosion expands into interstellar space. In this image, the X-rays from Chandra (purple) have been combined with optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey (red, green, and blue).
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Morehead State Univ/T.Pannuti et al, Optical: DSS)

Fast Facts for G266.2-1.2:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Morehead State Univ/T.Pannuti et al, Optical: DSS
Scale  Image is 24 x 44 arcmin (17 x 30 light years)
Category  Supernovas & Supernova Remnants
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 08h 49m 07.92s | Dec -45° 37' 44.40"
Constellation  Vela
Observation Dates  5-7 Jan 2003
Observation Time  20 hours 21 min
Obs. IDs  3846, 4414
Instrument  ACIS
References Pannuti, T, et al, 2010, ApJ, 721, 1492; arXiv:1008.1072
Color Code  X-ray (Purple); Optical (Red, Green, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 2,400 light years

3
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X-ray & Radio Images of 3C353
Jets generated by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies can transport huge amounts of energy across great distances. 3C353 is a wide, double-lobed source where the galaxy is the tiny point in the center and giant plumes of radiation can be seen in X-rays from Chandra (purple) and radio data from the Very Large Array (orange).
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Tokyo Institute of Technology/J.Kataoka et al, Radio: NRAO/VLA)

Fast Facts for 3C353:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Tokyo Institute of Technology/J.Kataoka et al, Radio: NRAO/VLA
Scale  Image is 5 arcmin across (about 590,000 light years)
Category  Quasars & Active Galaxies
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 17h 20m 28.10s | Dec -00° 58' 46.80"
Constellation  Ophiuchus
Observation Dates  July 3, July 8, 2007
Observation Time  25 hours (1 day 1 hour)
Obs. IDs  7886, 8565
Instrument  ACIS
References Kataoka, J et al, 2008, ApJ, 685, 839; arXiv:0806.1260
Color Code  X-ray (Blue); Radio (Red and Orange)
Distance Estimate  About 410 million light years

4
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X-ray & Optical Images of NGC 3576
A region of glowing gas in the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way galaxy, NGC 3576 is located about 9,000 light years from Earth. Such nebulas present a tableau of the drama of the evolution of massive stars, from the formation in vast dark clouds, their relatively brief (a few million years) lives, and the eventual destruction in supernova explosions. The diffuse X-ray data detected by Chandra (blue) are likely due to the winds from young, massive stars that are blowing throughout the nebula. Optical data from ESO are shown in orange and yellow.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/L.Townsley et al, Optical: ESO/2.2m telescope)

Fast Facts for NGC 3576:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/L.Townsley et al, Optical: ESO/2.2m telescope
Scale  Image is 19 x 28 arcmin (50.3 x 74.1 light years)
Category  Normal Stars & Star Clusters
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 11h 11m 53.80s | Dec -61º 18' 25.00"
Constellation  Carina
Observation Dates  21 & 23 Jul 2005
Observation Time  17 hours
Obs. IDs  4496, 6349
Instrument  ACIS
References Townsley, L. et al, 2011, ApJS, 194, 16; arXiv:1103.1606
Color Code  X-ray (Blue); Optical (Red, Green, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 9,000 light years

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X-ray & Optical Images of NGC 4945
This image provides a view into the central region of a galaxy that is similar in overall appearance to our own Milky Way, but contains a much more active supermassive black hole within the white area near the top. This galaxy, known as NGC 4945, is only about 13 million light years from Earth and is seen edge-on. X-rays from Chandra (blue), which have been overlaid on an optical image from the European Space Observatory, reveal the presence of the supermassive black hole at the center of this galaxy.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ degli Studi Roma Tre/A.Marinucci et al, Optical: ESO/VLT & NASA/STScI)

Fast Facts for NGC 4945:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ degli Studi Roma Tre/A.Marinucci et al, Optical: ESO/VLT & NASA/STScI
Scale  Image is 3 arcmin across (10,500 light years) | Wide-field image is 20 x 12 arcmin (70,000 x 42,000 light years)
Category  Quasars & Active Galaxies
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 13h 05m 27.50s | Dec -49° 28' 03.00"
Constellation  Centaurus
Observation Dates  27-28 Jan 2000 and 28-29 May 2004
Observation Time  57 hours 30 min (2 days 9 hours 30 min)
Obs. IDs  864, 4899, 4900
Instrument  ACIS
References Marinucci, A. et al, 2012, MNRAS, 423, L6; arXiv:1202.1279
Color Code  X-ray (low energy: Magenta, high energy: Blue); Optical (Red, Green, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 12 million light years

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X-ray, Optical & Infrared Images of IC 1396A
When radiation and winds from massive young stars impact clouds of cool gas, they can trigger new generations of stars to form. This is what may be happening in this object known as the Elephant Trunk Nebula (or its official name of IC 1396A). X-rays from Chandra (purple) have been combined with optical (red, green, and blue) and infrared (orange and cyan) to give a more complete picture of this source.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/Getman et al, Optical: DSS, Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Fast Facts for IC 1396A:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/Getman et al, Optical: DSS, Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scale  Image is 18 arcmin across (15 light years) | Wide-field image is 3 degrees across (93 light years)
Category  Normal Stars & Star Clusters
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 21h 36m 50.30s | Dec +57° 30' 24.00"
Constellation  Cepheus
Observation Dates  31 Mar and 9 Jun 2010
Observation Time  16 hours 23 min
Obs. IDs  10990, 11807
Instrument  ACIS
References Getman, K. et al, 2012, MNRAS, 426, 2917; arXiv:1208.1471
Color Code  Main image: X-ray (Purple); Optical (Red, Green, Blue); Infrared (Cyan, Orange); Wide-field image: Optical (Red, Green, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 2,800 light years

7
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X-ray & Infrared Images of SNR B0049-73.6
The details of how massive stars explode remains one of the biggest questions in astrophysics. Located in the neighboring galaxy of the Small Magellanic Cloud, this supernova, SNR B0049-73.6, provides astronomers with another excellent example of such an explosion to study. Chandra observations of the dynamics and composition of the debris from the explosion support the view that the explosion was produced by the collapse of the central core of a star. In this image, X-rays from Chandra (purple) are combined with infrared data from the 2MASS survey (red, green, and blue).
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Drew Univ/S.Hendrick et al, Infrared: 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF)

Fast Facts for SNR B0049-73.6:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Drew Univ/S.Hendrick et al, Infrared: 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF
Scale  Image is 18 arcmin across (about 940 light years)
Category  Supernovas & Supernova Remnants
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 00h 51m 06.70s | Dec -73° 21' 24.40"
Constellation  Tucana
Observation Dates  28 Feb 2003
Observation Time  13 hours 53 min
Obs. IDs  3907
Instrument  ACIS
References Hendrick, S. et al, 2005, ApJ, 622, L117
Color Code  X-ray (Purple); Infrared (Red, Green, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 180,000 light years

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X-ray, Optical & Infrared Images of 3C 397
3C 397 (also known as G41.1-0.3) is a Galactic supernova remnant with an unusual shape. Researchers think its box-like appearance is produced as the heated remains of the exploded star -- detected by Chandra in X-rays (purple) -- runs into cooler gas surrounding it. This composite of the area around 3C 397 also contains infrared emission from Spitzer (yellow) and optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey (red, green, and blue).
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Manitoba/S.Safi-Harb et al, Optical: DSS, Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Fast Facts for 3C397:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Manitoba/S.Safi-Harb et al, Optical: DSS, Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scale  Image is 26 arcmin across (250 light years)
Category  Supernovas & Supernova Remnants
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 19h 07m 35.00s | Dec +07° 08' 30.00"
Constellation  Aquila
Observation Dates  6 Sep 2001
Observation Time  18 hours 20 min
Obs. IDs  1042
Instrument  ACIS
Also Known As G41.1-0.3
References Safi-Harb, S. et al, 2005, ApJ, 618, 321; arXiv:astro-ph/0407121
Color Code  X-ray (Purple); Optical (Red, Green, Blue); Infrared (Yellow)
Distance Estimate  About 33,000 light years

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X-ray & Optical Images of NGC 6946
NGC 6946 is a medium-sized, face-on spiral galaxy about 22 million light years away from Earth. In the past century, eight supernovas have been observed to explode in the arms of this galaxy. Chandra observations (purple) have, in fact, revealed three of the oldest supernovas ever detected in X-rays, giving more credence to its nickname of the "Fireworks Galaxy." This composite image also includes optical data from the Gemini Observatory in red, yellow, and cyan.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MSSL/R.Soria et al, Optical: AURA/Gemini OBs)
Fast Facts for NGC 6946:
Credit  X-ray: NASA/CXC/MSSL/R.Soria et al, Optical: AURA/Gemini OBs
Scale  Image is 5.5 arcmin across (about 32,000 light years)
Category  Normal Galaxies & Starburst Galaxies, Supernovas & Supernova Remnants
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 20h 34m 51.20s | Dec +60° 09' 17.50"
Constellation  Cygnus
Observation Dates  5 pointings between 7 Sep 2001 and 3 Dec 2004
Observation Time  48 hours (2 days)
Obs. IDs  1043, 4404, 4631, 4632, 4633
Instrument  ACIS
References Soria, R., Perna, R., 2008, ApJ, 683, 767; arXiv:0805.0265
Color Code  X-ray (Blue); Optical (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue)
Distance Estimate  About 20 million light years



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