Andromeda in High-Energy X-rays

Nustar_nustar160105a_1024

nustar_nustar160105a January 5th, 2016

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscope Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has imaged a swath of the Andromeda galaxy -- the nearest large galaxy to our own Milky Way galaxy.

NuSTAR's view (inset) shows high-energy X-rays coming mostly from X-ray binaries, which are pairs of stars in which one "dead" member feeds off its companion. The dead member of the pair is either a black hole or neutron star. NuSTAR can pick up even the faintest of these objects, providing a better understanding of their population, as a whole, in Andromeda. The findings ultimately help astronomers gather clues about similar objects in the very distant universe.

The background image of Andromeda was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer in ultraviolet light.

Andromeda is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way but larger in size. It lies 2.5 million light-years away in the Andromeda constellation.

Provider: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

Image Source: https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar160105a

Curator: NuSTAR: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/

Image Details

Image Type
Collage
Object Name
Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 M31
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance

Universescale2
2,500,000 light years
Nustar_nustar160105a_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 0h 45m 0.0s
DEC = 41° 51’ 24.8”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
2.6 x 2.6 degrees
Constellation
Andromeda

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue NuSTAR (FUV) X-ray 77.5 pm
Green NuSTAR (NUV) X-ray 155.0 pm
Red NuSTAR X-ray 248.0 pm
Cyan GALEX Ultraviolet (FUV) 150.0 nm
Yellow GALEX Ultraviolet (NUV) 230.0 nm
Spectrum_xray1w
Blue
Green
Red
Cyan
Yellow
Nustar_nustar160105a_1280
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ID
nustar160105a
Subject Category
C.5.1.1  
Subject Name
Andromeda Galaxy, Messier 31, M31
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC
Release Date
2016-01-05
Lightyears
2,500,000
Redshift
2,500,000
Reference Url
https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar160105a
Type
Collage
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
NuSTAR, NuSTAR, NuSTAR, GALEX, GALEX
Instrument
FUV, NUV
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red, Cyan, Yellow
Band
X-ray, X-ray, X-ray, Ultraviolet, Ultraviolet
Bandpass
-, -, -, FUV, NUV
Central Wavelength
0.07749, 0.15498, 0.24797, 150, 230
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
11.25, 41.8569
Reference Dimension
6200, 6200
Reference Pixel
1820, 4580
Scale
-0.000416666666666667, 0.000416666666666667
Rotation
0.
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NuSTAR: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array
URL
http://www.nustar.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
Publisher ID
nustar
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-06-21T00:25:51Z
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
2,500,000 light years

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