Galactic Chimneys Turn Up the Heat

Chandra_317_1024

chandra_317 March 6th, 2006

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/U. Mass/Q.D.Wang; Optical: NOAO/KPNO

This X-ray/optical composite image shows multimillion degree gas (blue/X-ray) rising above the disk of stars and cooler gas (gray/optical). The rapid outflows of gas from giant stars and supernova explosions in the disk of a galaxy create huge shells or bubbles of hot gas that expand rapidly and rise above the disk like plumes of smoke from a chimney. Chandra's image of NGC 2841 provides direct evidence for this process, which pumps energy into the thin gaseous halo that surrounds the galaxy. Galactic chimneys also spread hot, metal enriched gas away from the disk of the galaxy into the halo.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/n2841/

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
NGC 2841
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance

Universescale2
50,000,000 light years
Chandra_317_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 9h 22m 2.7s
DEC = 50° 58’ 34.9”
Orientation
North is 179.3° CW
Field of View
4.4 x 6.2 arcminutes
Constellation
Ursa Major

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Red KPNO (WIYN 0.9-Meter) Optical (R-band) 657.0 nm
Green KPNO (WIYN 0.9-Meter) Optical (V-band) 554.0 nm
Blue KPNO (WIYN 0.9-Meter) Optical (B-band) 440.0 nm
Spectrum_xray1
Blue
Red
Green
Blue
Chandra_317_1280
×
ID
317
Subject Category
C.5.1.1.  
Subject Name
NGC 2841
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/U. Mass/Q.D.Wang; Optical: NOAO/KPNO
Release Date
2006-03-06
Lightyears
50,000,000
Redshift
50,000,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/n2841/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, KPNO, KPNO, KPNO
Instrument
ACIS, WIYN 0.9-Meter, WIYN 0.9-Meter, WIYN 0.9-Meter
Color Assignment
Blue, Red, Green, Blue
Band
X-ray, Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass
X-ray, R-band, V-band, B-band
Central Wavelength
0.8267, 657, 554, 440
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
140.51111400000, 50.97634900000
Reference Dimension
2367.00, 3300.00
Reference Pixel
1255.21014636422, 1643.81046525390
Scale
-0.00003132352, 0.00003132352
Rotation
-179.34109708711
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.0 revision 213+ by the Chandra X-ray Center
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 Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
n2841.tif
Metadata Date
2012-07-26T13:51:14-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
50,000,000 light years

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