Black Hole Pumps Iron

Chandra_434_1024

chandra_434 September 14th, 2009

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/U.Waterloo/C.Kirkpatrick et al.; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Optical: Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope/DSS

This composite image of the Hydra A galaxy cluster shows 10-million-degree gas observed by Chandra (blue) and jets of radio emission observed by the Very Large Array (pink). Optical data from the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope and the Digitized Sky Survey shows galaxies in the cluster (yellow). Detailed analysis of the Chandra data shows that the gas located along the direction of the radio jets is enhanced in iron and other metals produced by Type Ia supernova explosions in the large galaxy at the center of the cluster. A powerful outburst from the supermassive black hole then pushed the material outwards, over distances extending for almost 400,000 light years, extending beyond the region shown in this image.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2009/hydra/

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
Hydra A
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Grouping > Cluster

Distance

Universescale3
840,000,000 light years
Chandra_434_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 9h 18m 5.7s
DEC = -12° 5’ 40.4”
Orientation
North is 0.2° CCW
Field of View
6.6 x 6.6 arcminutes
Constellation
Hydra

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray 826.7 pm
Yellow CFHT (3.6m) Optical (R-band) 648.0 nm
Yellow DSS (DSS2B) Optical (B-band) 443.0 nm
Red VLA Radio (6cm) 60.0 mm
Spectrum_xray2
Blue
Yellow
Yellow
Red
Chandra_434_1280
×
ID
434
Subject Category
C.5.5.3  
Subject Name
Hydra A
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/U.Waterloo/C.Kirkpatrick et al.; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Optical: Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope/DSS
Release Date
2009-09-14
Lightyears
840,000,000.0
Redshift
0.054
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2009/hydra/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, CFHT, DSS, VLA
Instrument
ACIS, 3.6m, DSS2B, -
Color Assignment
Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Red
Band
X-ray, Optical, Optical, Radio
Bandpass
-, R-band, B-band, 6cm
Central Wavelength
0.8267, 648, 443, 6e7
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
139.5237750, -12.0945534
Reference Dimension
2400.0, 2400.0
Reference Pixel
1201.0, 1201.0
Scale
4.56655e-05, 4.56655e-05
Rotation
0.2
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
WCS retrieved using CXCs PinpointWCS
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
hydra.tif
Metadata Date
2012-03-27T16:49:04-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
840,000,000 light years

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