Sculptor Galaxy Shines with X-rays

Nustar_nustar130611b_1024

nustar_nustar130611b June 11th, 2013

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/JHU

The Sculptor galaxy is seen in a new light, in this composite image from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The NuSTAR data, which appear as colored blobs, show high-energy X-rays. The NuSTAR observations are the sharpest ever taken of this galaxy in high-energy X-rays.

The findings, when combined with those from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, suggest that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Sculptor galaxy, also known as NGC 253, has dozed off, or gone inactive, sometime in the past decade. Future observations from both telescopes should help address this mystery.

The NuSTAR data also reveals a flaring source of high-energy X-rays, called an ultraluminous X-ray source, or ULX. This object, which appears as a blue spot near the hotter, central region of the galaxy, is either a black hole or a dense, dead star, called a neutron star, feeding off a partner star. The flare is thought to be the result of a change in the object's feeding patterns.

The other orange and reddish points are likely additional X-ray-generating pairs of stars located throughout the galaxy.

In this image, red shows low-energy X-ray radiation (3 to 7 kiloelectron volts), green is medium energy (7 to 10 kiloelectron volts), and blue is high energy (10 to 20 kiloelectron volts).

Provider: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

Image Source: https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar130611b

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

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

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Sculptor Galaxy Silver Dollar Galaxy NGC 253
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Type > Barred

Distance

Universescale2
11,500,000 light years
Nustar_nustar130611b_128
 

Position Details

Position (FK5)
RA = 0h 47m 33.1s
DEC = -25° 17’ 17.6”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
12.3 x 12.3 arcminutes
Constellation
Sculptor

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red NuSTAR X-ray 248.4 pm
Green NuSTAR X-ray 138.0 pm
Blue NuSTAR X-ray 69.0 pm
Spectrum_xray1w
Red
Green
Blue
Nustar_nustar130611b_1280
×
ID
nustar130611b
Subject Category
C.5.1.1   C.5.1.2  
Subject Name
Sculptor Galaxy, Silver Dollar Galaxy, NGC 253
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/JHU
Release Date
2013-06-11
Lightyears
11,500,000
Redshift
0.000811
Reference Url
https://nustar.caltech.edu/image/nustar130611b
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
NuSTAR, NuSTAR, NuSTAR
Instrument
Color Assignment
Red, Green, Blue
Band
X-ray, X-ray, X-ray
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
0.2484, 0.138, 0.069
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
FK5
Equinox
2000
Reference Value
1.188800000000000E+01, -2.528822000000000E+01
Reference Dimension
300, 300
Reference Pixel
150.5, 150.5
Scale
-6.82807600000000e-04, 6.82807600000000e-04
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
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
Country
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
Publisher ID
nustar
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-06-21T00:31:48Z
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
11,500,000 light years

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