Chandra Release - November 6, 2000

Visual Description: Cygnus A

The X-ray image of the galaxy Cygnus A depicts a bright, glowing object in the center of the image, surrounded by a fluorescent red-orange and yellow halo. This Chandra image shows a giant football-shaped cavity (yellow/light orange inner region) within X-ray emitting hot gas surrounding the galaxy Cygnus A. The cavity in the hot gas has been created by two powerful jets emitted from the central black hole region in the nucleus of Cygnus A. Hot gas is steadily being piled up around the cavity as it continuously expands, creating a bright rim of X-ray emission (bright orange outer area).