Spectacular Images of the Cosmos Released by NASA

Many believe space is boring, frustrating, and has nothing new to offer. But that position loses strength with every achievement, every successful mission, and of course, every image. The Chandra X-ray Observatory has been operating for more than twenty years, and thanks to the data it has collected over that time (in combination with data from other programs and telescopes), we can now enjoy a series of formidable images that definitely deserve your time.

Astronomy is much broader and more complex than we imagine. While anyone can enter that world with a telescope (or a pair of binoculars), good software and the right weather conditions, talking about "professional astronomy" forces us to think about multiple special facilities around the globe, and several orbital observatories, with emphasis on the so-called “Four Greats”: Hubble (visible light), Compton (gamma), Spitzer (infrared), and Chandra (X-rays).

In Chandra's official section, the NASA published at the beginning of this month a package of six spectacular images of the cosmos, results that merge data obtained by the observatory with those from other missions. Personally, I would have liked a format closer to traditional galleries (and with more photographs), but it's an excellent starting point to learn more about this program that has been studying and observing the universe for more than two decades in ways that would be impossible for us.

Messier 82

Also known as the Cigar Galaxy, this irregular formation is located 12 million light-years away, in the constellation Ursa Major. The X-rays detected by Chandra (everything that is blue and pink) reveal gas jets extending nearly 20,000 light-years, with a temperature exceeding ten million degrees due to the high frequency of supernovae. The optical data (in orange and red) come from Hubble.

Abell 2744

The Pandora Cluster, created by the merger of at least four smaller clusters over a span of 350 million years. Another joint work between Chandra and Hubble, showing us extraordinary amounts of superheated gas, shining brightly in X-rays, spanning millions of light-years between galaxies. It is estimated that 75 percent of the cluster's mass is dark matter.

Supernova 1987A

This supernova was recorded in the last days of February 1987, in the Tarantula Nebula located within the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 168,000 light-years from Earth. Chandra's data (represented in blue) show the location of the supernova's shock wave (a kind of “sonic boom”) interacting with surrounding material about four light-years from the original explosion point. Additional evidence of that interaction was detected by Hubble (orange and red).

Eta Carinae

Some experts believe Eta Carinae is a strong candidate to become a supernova within our galaxy. It is about 7,500 light-years away (so we shouldn't expect negative effects if it explodes), and we have studied it for a long time. The image contains optical and ultraviolet data from Hubble, with X-rays from Chandra (the purple emissions). Previous eruptions of the star created gas rings 2.3 light-years in diameter.

Cartwheel Galaxy

PGC 2248, if you prefer a formal name. A “giant target” like few others, courtesy of the small galaxy near the center. NASA explains that the collision created shock waves that swept through the galaxy, giving rise to a large number of stellar formations. Once again, Chandra's data appear in purple, with hot gas expanding more than 150,000 light-years due to the collision. Hubble's optical data are identified in blue, red, and green.

Helix Nebula

Is the best saved for last? I don't know, but we can't deny that this image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) is impressive. What we are seeing measures about four light-years. When a star like our Sun runs out of fuel, it expands and sheds its outer layers, while the core shrinks, forming a planetary nebula. The photograph combines data from Chandra (white), Hubble (orange and blue), Spitzer (green and red), and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (cyan).

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