Revealing Hidden Black Holes

Chandra_529_1024

chandra_529 December 13th, 2012

Credit: NASA/CXC/Ohio State Univ./C.Grier et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI, ESO/WFI; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This multiwavelength image of the galaxy NGC 3627 contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), infrared data from Spitzer (red), and optical data from Hubble and the Very Large Telescope (yellow). Astronomers conducted a survey of 62 galaxies, which included NGC 3627, to study the supermassive black holes at their centers. Among this sample, 37 galaxies with X-ray sources are supermassive black hole candidates, and seven were not previously known. Confirming previous Chandra results, this study finds the fraction of galaxies hosting supermassive black holes is much higher than in optical searches for black holes that are relatively inactive.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/ngc3627/

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

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

Image Details

Image Type
Collage
Object Name
NGC 3627
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Component > Central Black Hole

Distance

Universescale2
29,000,000 light years
Chandra_529_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 11h 20m 15.0s
DEC = 12° 59’ 31.4”
Orientation
North is 45.3° CCW
Field of View
6.8 x 6.8 arcminutes
Constellation
Leo

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray (X-ray) 826.7 pm
Yellow VLT (WFI) Optical (B-band) 429.0 nm
Yellow VLT (WFI) Optical (V-band) 554.0 nm
Yellow VLT (WFI) Optical (R-band) 657.0 nm
Yellow Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (I-band) 814.0 nm
Yellow Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (H-alpha) 658.0 nm
Yellow Hubble (WFPC2) Optical (V-band) 555.0 nm
Yellow Hubble (ACS/WFC) Optical (I-band) 814.0 nm
Yellow Hubble (ACS/WFC) Optical (V-band) 555.0 nm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Spectrum_xray1
Blue
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Red
Chandra_529_1280
×
ID
529
Subject Category
C.5.1.1   C.5.4.6  
Subject Name
NGC 3627
Credits
NASA/CXC/Ohio State Univ./C.Grier et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI, ESO/WFI; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Release Date
2012-12-13
Lightyears
29,000,000
Redshift
29,000,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/ngc3627/
Type
Collage
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, VLT, VLT, VLT, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble, Spitzer
Instrument
ACIS, WFI, WFI, WFI, WFPC2, WFPC2, WFPC2, ACS/WFC, ACS/WFC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Red
Band
X-ray, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Infrared
Bandpass
X-ray, B-band, V-band, R-band, I-band, H-alpha, V-band, I-band, V-band, Near-IR
Central Wavelength
0.8267, 429, 554, 657, 814, 658, 555, 814, 555, 4500
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
170.0625237, 12.9920635
Reference Dimension
3600.0, 3600.0
Reference Pixel
1801.0, 1801.0
Scale
3.15939e-05, 3.1593855e-05
Rotation
45.29
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
ngc3627.tif
Metadata Date
2012-12-21T10:02:17-05:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
29,000,000 light years

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