Chandra Release - December 11, 2025

Visual Description: NGC 6278 and PGC 039620

This release features two optical and X-ray images of galaxies captured by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, presented side-by-side. At the upper righthand corner of each image is an inset highlighting X-ray data from Chandra.

The first optical image and X-ray image, on our left, shows NGC 6278, a relatively large galaxy, about
the same size as our Milky Way. In the optical data, the galaxy resembles a tilted,
hazy golden oval, surrounded by a few small dots of golden light. Within the
translucent oval is a smaller, opaque, golden orange disk. At the center of that disk is a
bright, golden white dot. This dot is the focus of the X-ray inset. In the inset, the dot
appears pure white, and is ringed with a band of neon pink. These bright X-rays are a
clear indicator of a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

The second optical and X-ray image, on our right, features PGC 039620, a relatively small
galaxy. In the optical data it resembles a small, faint, translucent pink disk tilted on its side. It is
surrounded by a handful of pink and golden orange specks. A much larger spiral
galaxy appears below it, near the bottom edge of the frame. The center of PGC
039620's disk, is the focus of the X-ray inset. However, the inset
appears entirely black, with no white dot or neon pink outline present. The lack of
bright X-rays shows that there is no clear evidence for a supermassive black
hole at the center of this small galaxy.