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Solar System -
The Sun's hot outer atmosphere produces X-rays, but because it is so close
(a mere 93 million miles!), it is too bright for Chandra's sensitive eyes.
Chandra can observe other objects in our solar system such as comets and
Jupiter.
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Stars - The hot outer
atmospheres, or coronas, of normal stars such as our sun produce X-rays.
X-ray observations are useful for understanding how the flaring activity of
stars can change as stars evolve, and how the evolution of stars is changed
if they are in a close binary system.
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White Dwarf Stars
- White dwarf stars are dense, burnt-out remnants of stars like the sun.
They are formed when the star contracts after using up its nuclear fuel.
When matter from a nearby star falls onto a white dwarf star, X-rays are
produced.
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Supernovas & Supernova
Remnants - When a star blows apart in a supernova, the explosion
creates a remnant of multi-million degree gas that shines brightly in
X-rays for thousands of years. X-ray observations can reveal the dynamics
of the explosion and heavy elements present in the remnant.
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Neutron Stars -
When a massive star goes supernova, it can leave behind an extremely dense
remnant star called a neutron star. Young neutron stars spew out high
energy particles that produce X-rays for several thousand years. An old
neutron star can produce X-rays when matter from a nearby star falls onto
its surface.
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Black Holes - When
a collapsed star has more mass than three suns, it forms a black hole in
space. These bizarre objects are found in rare double star systems or in
the centers of galaxies where supermassive black holes have formed. X-ray
telescopes provide an unequaled view of super- heated matter that is
swirling toward the event horizon of a black hole.
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Galaxies - X-ray
observations of normal galaxies reveal the hot, energetic side of a
galaxy's character by locating neutron stars, the remnants of supernovas,
and black holes, and imaging hot superbubbles and galaxy-sized clouds of
hot gas produced by bursts of star formation.
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Active Galaxies &
Quasars - Active galaxies show especially violent activity,
usually near the centers of the galaxies. This activity is due to a
supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy, or a near collision
with another galaxy, or both. Quasars are extreme examples of active
galaxies.
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Galaxy
Clusters - Among the most energetic events in the universe is
the merger of groups of galaxies to form giant clusters containing
thousands of galaxies. Vast, hot, X-ray emitting gas clouds in the clusters
show this process in action.
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X-ray Background &
Surveys - The sky as observed in X-rays is not dark, but gives
off a glow thought to be from many distant sources. Deep surveys with the
Chandra X-ray Observatory should reveal the cause of this glow
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Miscellaneous - Cosmic X-ray sources or topics that do not fit in any of the categories above such as Brown Dwarfs and Gamma Ray Bursts.
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