June 8, 2023: NASA has released beautiful new photos that combine information from many telescopes. Keep reading to know more!
On Tuesday, NASA made available four photos that combine information from the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each image combines Chandra X-ray data with infrared data from previously published Webb images.
NASA launched the Flagship-class Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), formerly known as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), on board the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-93 on July 23, 1999.
Because of the extraordinary angular resolution of its mirrors, Chandra can detect X-ray sources that are 100 times fainter than those detected by any prior X-ray telescope.
Although X-rays and low-energy infrared rays are both invisible to the human eye, they can produce some incredible visuals when converted into visible light. The space agency claims it also utilised X-ray data from the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope, optical data from the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope, infrared light from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and optical data from the Hubble telescope.
They published images showing the following findings:
- The renowned area of the sky known as Messier 16, or the Eagle Nebula, is also known as the Pillars of Creation in NASA's initial photographs from the Webb telescope. The black columns of gas that surround the newborn stars in the new image are shown using Webb data. These young stars are emitting X-rays, which Chandra has discovered as specks of light.
Messier 74, sometimes known as M74, is a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. It is known as the Phantom Galaxybecause, compared to other galaxies in Charles Messier's well-known catalogue, it is relatively dark and therefore more challenging to view.
Infrared data from Webb depicts gas and dust, whereas X-ray data from Chandra reveals high-energy activity from stars. Hubble optical data also shows more stars and dust along dust lanes in addition to this.
3. The Small Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy located about 200,000 light-years from Earth, contains the star cluster NGC 346. The Webb data reveal the plumes and arcs of gas and dust that give rise to stars and planets. The Chandra data show the young, hot, and massive stars that produce the strong stellar winds that shape the gas and dust. Along with supporting information from XMM-Newton and the New Technology Telescope, this image also incorporates additional data from the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes.
Another spiral galaxy, NGC 1672 is classified as a barred spiral by astronomers. The arms of barred spiral galaxies are seen as straight bars of stars that enclose the cores in the regions around their centres. Arms of standard spiral galaxies twist all the way to the centre.
Chandra data suggest the material being sucked in by compact objects like neutron stars or black holes is coming from partner stars as well as the remains of exploding stars. Hubble optical data was utilised to show gas and dust in the spiral arms of NGC 1672, and Webb data was used to fill the spiral arms with gas and dust.