Phoenix Cluster Sets Record Pace at Forming Stars

Chandra_519_1024

chandra_519 August 15th, 2012

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/M.McDonald; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M.McDonald; Optical: AURA/NOAO/CTIO/MIT/M.McDonald; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

The Phoenix Cluster is an extraordinary galaxy cluster that is breaking several important astronomical records. The composite image on the left includes an X-ray image from Chandra (purple), an optical image from the 4-m Blanco telescope (red, green and blue), and an ultraviolet image from GALEX (blue). This galaxy cluster has been dubbed the "Phoenix Cluster" because of the constellation in which it is found, and because of its remarkable properties including an exceptionally high rate of star formation in its center. The artist's illustration on the right depicts the cluster's central galaxy surrounded by hotter (red) and cooler gas (blue). Flowing gas is shown in the ribbon-like structures, and the newly formed stars appear as smaller blue and white dots.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/phoenix/

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
Collage
Object Name
Phoenix Cluster
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Grouping > Cluster
Galaxy > Activity > Ultraluminous

Distance

Universescale3
5,000,000,000 light years
Chandra_519_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 23h 43m 54.0s
DEC = -42° 47’ 15.4”
Orientation
North is 0.2° CW
Field of View
5.6 x 5.6 arcminutes
Constellation
Phoenix

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Purple Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Red CTIO (Blanco 4m) Optical (z-band) 893.0 nm
Green CTIO (Blanco 4m) Optical (i-band) 748.0 nm
Blue CTIO (Blanco 4m) Optical (r-band) 616.0 nm
Cyan GALEX Ultraviolet (Near-UV) 225.0 nm
Spectrum_xray1
Purple
Red
Green
Blue
Cyan
Chandra_519_1280
×
ID
519
Subject Category
D.5.5.3   D.5.3.4  
Subject Name
Phoenix Cluster
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/M.McDonald; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M.McDonald; Optical: AURA/NOAO/CTIO/MIT/M.McDonald; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
Release Date
2012-08-15
Lightyears
5,000,000,000
Redshift
0.596
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/phoenix/
Type
Collage
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, CTIO, CTIO, CTIO, GALEX
Instrument
ACIS, Blanco 4m, Blanco 4m, Blanco 4m, -
Color Assignment
Purple, Red, Green, Blue, Cyan
Band
X-ray, Optical, Optical, Optical, Ultraviolet
Bandpass
X-ray, z-band, i-band, r-band, Near-UV
Central Wavelength
0.8267, 893, 748, 616, 225
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
355.97517880000, -42.78759845000
Reference Dimension
3600.00, 3600.00
Reference Pixel
7711.72010808035, 4812.46129414509
Scale
-0.00002601225, 0.00002601225
Rotation
-0.22559455104
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
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
phoenix.tif
Metadata Date
2012-08-15T13:05:11-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
5,000,000,000 light years

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