{"id":62684,"date":"2024-08-21T14:07:20","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T14:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ba65c162-e1c3-4dcb-b0a5-c2cf1dde49bf"},"modified":"2024-08-21T14:39:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T14:39:46","slug":"this-image-shows-the-centre-of-our-galaxy-and-its-supermassive-black-hole-captured-in-x-ray-light","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/this-image-shows-the-centre-of-our-galaxy-and-its-supermassive-black-hole-captured-in-x-ray-light\/","title":{"rendered":"This image shows the centre of our galaxy and its supermassive black hole captured in x-ray light"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two powerful observatories combine to produce a spectacular image showing the centre of our galaxy. <\/p>

By Iain Todd\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 21 August 2024 at 14:07 PM<\/p>

\n\n

The Chandra X-ray Observatory has captured an image of the centre of the Milky Way, revealing many of its secrets that would normally be obscured from view.<\/p>

The image is one of many captured by Chandra to celebrate the space observatory’s 25th anniversary.<\/p>

X-rays from Chandra are seen in orange, green, blue and purple, while radio data from the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa is shown in lilac.<\/p>

Composite image showing the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope. Click to expand. Credit: X-ray: NASA\/CXC\/UMass\/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF\/SARAO\/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA\/CXC\/SAO\/N. Wolk<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The centre of our Milky Way is a chaotic region, where cosmic gas and dust obscure what we can see in optical light.<\/p>

But x-ray light and radio waves can be used to peer through this gas and dust and get to the heart of cosmic regions, including the centre of our Galaxy.<\/p>

\"Image
Image showing the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Click to expand. Credit: X-ray: NASA\/CXC\/UMass\/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF\/SARAO\/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA\/CXC\/SAO\/N. Wolk<\/figcaption><\/figure>

In this composite image, x-rays show threads of superheated gas and bursts from our galaxy\u2019s central supermassive black hole<\/a>.<\/p>

The red clouds are regions of hot gas, seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.<\/p>

Translucent threads are mysterious sources of radio waves in clusters, streaks, and ribbons, seen by MeerKAT.<\/p>

The very bright white spot at the lower righthand corner of the image is the region around Sagittarius C, a bright star forming region.<\/p>

\"Image
Image showing the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, captured by the MeerKAT radio telescope. Click to expand. Credit: X-ray: NASA\/CXC\/UMass\/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF\/SARAO\/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA\/CXC\/SAO\/N. Wolk<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on 23 July 1999.<\/p>

It has spent the last 25 years giving astronomers a view of thousands of objects in x-ray, unravelling many of the hidden secrets of the cosmos.<\/p>

Highlights include Chandra’s view of the Crab Nebula<\/a>, a view of Westerlund 1<\/a>, the biggest explosion ever seen in the Universe<\/a> and a Death Star black hole<\/a>.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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