Rough and Crowded Neighborhood at Galactic Center

Chandra_328_1024

chandra_328 July 19th, 2006

Credit: NASA/CXC/UMass Amherst/Q.D.Wang et al.

The clusters, Arches (upper right), Quintuplet (upper center), and the GC cluster (bottom center), contain massive stars that appear as very bright, point-like X-ray sources when winds from their surfaces collide with those from an orbiting companion. Vast amounts of energy are also released when these stars explode as supernovas, heating the surrounding material. Stellar corpses in this image also emit X-rays as either neutron stars or black holes in binary systems. Collisions between the clusters themselves and cooler molecular clouds of gas contribute to the diffuse X-rays seen in this image.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

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

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
Observation
Object Name
Arches Quintuplet GC Star Clusters
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Grouping > Cluster

Distance

Universescale1
26,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 17h 45m 50.3s
DEC = -28° 49’ 20.0”
Constellation
Sagittarius

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (Low X-ray) 496.0 pm
Green Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (Medium X-ray) 248.0 pm
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (High X-ray) 165.0 pm
Spectrum_xray1
Red
Green
Blue
Chandra_328_1280
×
ID
328
Subject Category
B.3.6.4.  
Subject Name
Arches, Quintuplet, GC Star Clusters
Credits
NASA/CXC/UMass Amherst/Q.D.Wang et al.
Release Date
2006-07-19
Lightyears
26,000
Redshift
26,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/gcenter/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, Chandra, Chandra
Instrument
ACIS, ACIS, ACIS
Color Assignment
Red, Green, Blue
Band
X-ray, X-ray, X-ray
Bandpass
Low X-ray, Medium X-ray, High X-ray
Central Wavelength
0.496, 0.248, 0.165
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
4500, 4500, 4500
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
266.459583333333, -28.8222222222222
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
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 Observatory Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
gcenter.tif
Metadata Date
2012-07-26T13:48:58-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
26,000 light years

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