Chandra Reads the Cosmic Bar Code of Gas Around a Giant Black Hole

Chandra_213_1024

chandra_213 February 17th, 2000

Credit: NASA/SRON

This X-ray spectrum taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows details of the energy radiated by the hot gas located around the galaxy's central giant black hole. In what amounts to a cosmic bar code, this spectrum allows scientists to take an inventory of elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen that are present in the multimillion degree gas. It also reveals that some of the hot gas is flowing away from the black hole, probably because of the enormous amount of energy that is being radiated by the extremely hot gas very near the black hole.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0170/

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

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

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Image Details

Image Type
Chart
Object Name
NGC 5548

Distance

Universescale3
220,000,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 14h 17m 59.6s
DEC = 25° 8’ 13.2”
Constellation
Bootes

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Chandra (HRC-LETG) X-ray -
Chandra_213_1280
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ID
213
Subject Category
Subject Name
NGC 5548
Credits
NASA/SRON
Release Date
2000-02-17
Lightyears
220,000,000
Redshift
220,000,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0170/
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra
Instrument
HRC-LETG
Color Assignment
Band
X-ray
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
1999-12-11
Integration Time
859800
Dataset ID
330
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
214.4982168, 25.1369964
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
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 Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
0170_spectrum.tif
Metadata Date
2010-12-23
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
220,000,000 light years

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