Record-Setting X-ray Jet Discovered

Chandra_527_1024

chandra_527 November 28th, 2012

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/NRC/C.Cheung et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

This composite image shows GB 1428+4217, a quasar that contains the most distant X-ray jet ever observed. This view contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), radio data from the Very Large Array (purple), and optical data from Hubble (yellow). The jet, whose shape is very similar in the X-ray and radio data, was produced by a giant black hole, at the center of a galaxy, pulling in matter at a rapid rate. The energy released as particles fall toward the black hole generates intense radiation and powerful beams of high-energy particles that blast away from the black hole at nearly the speed of light. GB 1428+4217 is located about 12.4 billion light years from Earth, surpassing the distance of previously discovered X-ray jets.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/gb1428/

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
GB 1428+4217
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Activity > AGN > Quasar
Galaxy > Component > Central Black Hole

Distance

Universescale3
12,400,000,000 light years
Chandra_527_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 14h 30m 23.7s
DEC = 42° 4’ 34.5”
Orientation
North is 9.6° CCW
Field of View
0.7 x 0.7 arcminutes
Constellation
Bootes

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Purple VLA (VLA) Radio (L-band) 214.0 mm
Yellow Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (I-band) 814.0 nm
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Spectrum_xray2
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Chandra_527_1280
×
ID
527
Subject Category
D.5.3.2.1   D.5.4.6  
Subject Name
GB 1428+4217
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/NRC/C.Cheung et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA
Release Date
2012-11-28
Lightyears
12,400,000,000
Redshift
4.72
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/gb1428/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
VLA, Hubble, Chandra
Instrument
VLA, WFPC2, ACIS
Color Assignment
Purple, Yellow, Blue
Band
Radio, Optical, X-ray
Bandpass
L-band, I-band, X-ray
Central Wavelength
2.14e8, 814, 0.8267
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
217.59872952109, 42.07624940197
Reference Dimension
3600.00, 3600.00
Reference Pixel
2225.49169019576, 1907.48986768057
Scale
-0.00000319891, 0.00000319891
Rotation
9.64829887497
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
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
gb1428.tif
Metadata Date
2012-11-28T12:38:17-05:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
12,400,000,000 light years

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