Credit: NASA/CXC/RIT/J. Kastner et al.

This image of NGC 5315 shows the box-shaped outlines for two of the detectors on Chandra, plus the so-called aimpoint of the telescope, where the Chandra images are the sharpest (the spatial resolution of Chandra images, like those for other X-ray telescopes, descreases with distance from the aimpoint). For optimal imaging of Hen 2-99, Chandra was pointed so that this planetary nebula would fall near the aimpoint. Although Hen 2-99 was too faint to be detected, the planetary nebula NGC 5315 was serendipitously detected a large distance away from the aimpoint, where the image is not as sharp.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2007/ngc5315/

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

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