NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals new views of distant galaxies

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in collaboration with other major telescopes, has released a new gallery of images showcasing the diverse structures and energetic processes of distant galaxies. By utilizing X-ray data, astronomers can observe phenomena invisible to optical telescopes, such as gas heated to millions of degrees by stellar winds, black hole outflows, and supernova debris.

The new imagery highlights various galactic classifications, including spiral galaxies with winding arms, older elliptical galaxies often formed through mergers, and irregular galaxies with disrupted structures. These observations help scientists understand the evolution of galaxies and gain insights into the history and future of the Milky Way.

To create a comprehensive view of these cosmic structures, researchers combined Chandra’s high-energy X-ray data with observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, NuSTAR, and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).