chandra_212 March 1st, 2000
Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO
This image made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows the merger of two sub-clusters of galaxies. The sub-clusters are embedded within Abell 2142, a gigantic galaxy cluster that is one of the most massive objects in the universe. The smoothness of the elongated cloud in the Chandra image suggests that these sub-clusters have collided two or three times in a billion years or more, and have nearly completed their merger. The bright source in the upper left is an active galaxy in the cluster.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/a2142/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
Providers | Sign In