Chandra Peers Into The Giant Molecular Cloud Known As W51
By studying the distribution of the X-rays and their properties in the giant molecular cloud known as W51, astronomers are trying to better understand the…
Chandra X-ray Observatory
Astronomers Spot “Indigestion” in Supermassive Black Hole
A new multi-wavelength study of a pair of colliding galaxies has revealed the cause of a supermassive black hole’s case of “indigestion.” The new research…
Astronomers Puzzled by Detection of Strong X-Rays from Pluto
Chandra reveals that the X-ray emission from Pluto is as strong as that coming from solar system objects with much more substantial atmospheres. Pluto is…
Chandra Reveals 25 Bright Point-Like X-Ray Sources in Arp 299
New Chandra data has revealed 25 bright point-like X-ray sources in Arp 299, 14 of which are categorized as “ULXs”. These ULXs are likely binary…
Chandra Reveals Extended Hard X-ray Emission from a Galactic Nucleus
Using Chandra, a team of astronomers has found that the nuclear region emitting hard X-rays in galaxy ESO 428-G014 is more than ten times larger…
Chandra Views the Volatile Stellar Relationship of the R Aquarii System
Chandra has observed the R Aquarii system many times over the last 17 years, helping astronomers better understand how this volatile stellar pair interacts with…
Chandra Reveals That Early Black Holes May Have Grown in Fits and Spurts
By comparing theoretical models to Chandra surveys and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, astronomers have found evidence that the very earliest supermassive black holes in…
Hubble, VLA, Chandra, Spitzer, & XMM-Newton Combine Data to Create New Image of the Crab Nebula
A new multi-wavelength image of the Crab Nebula contains data from Chandra, VLA, Spitzer, Hubble, and XMM-Newton. The Crab supernova was observed in 1054 AD…
NASA’s NuSTAR Telescope Shows Merging Galaxies Have Enshrouded Black Holes
Using NASA’s NuSTAR telescope, a team of astronomers reveals that in the late stages of galaxy mergers, so much gas and dust falls toward a…
Astronomers Discover a Giant Wave of Hot Gas Rolling Through the Perseus Galaxy Cluster
A wave of hot gas spanning 200,000 light-years is rolling through the Perseus galaxy cluster. Combining data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations…
Chandra Reveals Evidence of Repeated Bursts from a Black Hole
Astronomers reveal evidence of repeated bursts, or eruptions, from a black hole at the center of a large elliptical galaxy located within the core of…
NASA’s Chandra Discovers a Mysterious Cosmic Explosion
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has discovered a mysterious flash of X-rays in the Chandra Deep Field-South data. The mysterious X-ray source became 1,000 times brighter…
Chandra Discovers a Star in the Closest Known Orbit Around a Black Hole
Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as NASA’s NuSTAR and CSIRO’s Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), a team of astronomers reveals evidence for a…
ESO Image of the Week – Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987A
This composite image shows Supernova 1987A, one of the brightest supernovae detected since the invention of the telescope. Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of…
3D Model Lets Astronomers Explore Supernova 1987a Like Never Before
By using data from telescopes, astronomers — and the public — can explore SN 1987A like never before. Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of…
Chandra Reveals a Decade-Long Sustained Tidal Disruption Event
A trio of X-ray observatories has captured a remarkable event in their data: a decade-long binge by a black hole almost two billion light years…
NASA’s NuSTAR Reveals New Clues to ‘Chameleon Supernova’
NASA’s NuSTAR satellite reveals new clues to why supernova SN 2014C dramatically changed in appearance over the course of a year. “We’re made of star…
Chandra Reveals Geometrical Explanation for Puzzling Differences in Behavior of Pulsars
New X-ray images from Chandra have shown distinctly different shapes for the structures around two pulsars. By studying the shape and orientation of these structures,…