Chandra Shows New Way to Measure Cosmic Distances

Chandra_208_1024

chandra_208 April 25th, 2000

Credit: NASA/SRON/MPE

The Chandra image of Cygnus X-3 shows the X-ray source (red) and a halo (green & blue). The halo is due to scattering by interstellar dust grains along the line of sight to the source. The sharp horizontal line is an instrument effect. Scientists have used the radiation from the halo as a new way to measure cosmic distances. The X-ray emission from Cygnus X-3 varies regularly with a 4.8 hour period, as the compact star circles a companion star. By observing the delays and smearing at different parts of the halo, the distance to the X-ray source is found to be 30,000 light years.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/cygx399/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Cygnus X-3
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Neutron Star
Star > Grouping > Binary

Distance

Universescale1
30,000 light years
Chandra_208_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 20h 32m 25.7s
DEC = 40° 57’ 28.6”
Orientation
North is 9.3° CCW
Field of View
2.2 x 2.2 arcminutes
Constellation
Cygnus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Pseudocolor Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Dataset ID is the Chandra Observation ID
Spectrum_xray1
Pseudocolor
Chandra_208_1280
×
ID
208
Subject Category
B.3.1.9.   B.3.6.1.  
Subject Name
Cygnus X-3
Credits
NASA/SRON/MPE
Release Date
2000-04-25
Lightyears
30,000
Redshift
30,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/cygx399/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
ACIS
Color Assignment
Pseudocolor
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.8267
Start Time
1999-10-20T01:11:38
Integration Time
20540
Dataset ID
1456
Notes
D
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
308.1070333, 40.9579535
Reference Dimension
2250.0, 2250.0
Reference Pixel
1126.0, 1126.0
Scale
1.63128e-05, 1.6312794e-05
Rotation
9.25
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden St.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-ray Observatory
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
cygx399_xray.tif
Metadata Date
2012-08-13T16:28:29-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
30,000 light years

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