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A Tour of Ring Galaxy AM 0644 | NASA Chandra
Sept. 6, 2018: Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a ring of X-ray power. This ring sounds like it might belong in Tolkien's Middle Earth, but it is, in fact, found in a galaxy about 300 million light years from Earth.
The galaxy called AM 0644-741 is what astronomers refer to as a "ring" galaxy. Taking a look at the image quickly reveals why. Astronomers think ring galaxies are formed when one galaxy smashes into another in a catastrophic collision. The impact generates ripples in the interstellar gas of the targeted galaxy. These ripples, in turn, trigger new waves of star formation as gas expands outward from the site of the collision.
The most massive of these fledgling stars will lead short lives—in cosmic terms—of millions of years. After that, their nuclear fuel is spent and the stars explode as supernovas leaving behind either black holes with masses less than about a hundred times that of the Sun, or neutron stars with a mass approximately equal to one and a half times of the Sun.
Some of these black holes and neutron stars have closecompanion stars, and siphon gas from their stellar partner. This gas falls towards the black hole or neutron star, forming a spinning disk like water circling a drain, and becomes heated by friction. This superheated gas produces large amounts of X-rays that Chandra can detect.
Astronomers are on a quest to study AM 0644-741 and others like it to better understand the origins of ring galaxies and the intriguing objects that they contain.
Credit: NASA Chandra
Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+European Space Agency, ESA
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Sept. 6, 2018: Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a ring of X-ray power. This ring sounds like it might belong in Tolkien's Middle Earth, but it is, in fact, found in a galaxy about 300 million light years from Earth.
The galaxy called AM 0644-741 is what astronomers refer to as a "ring" galaxy. Taking a look at the image quickly reveals why. Astronomers think ring galaxies are formed when one galaxy smashes into another in a catastrophic collision. The impact generates ripples in the interstellar gas of the targeted galaxy. These ripples, in turn, trigger new waves of star formation as gas expands outward from the site of the collision.
The most massive of these fledgling stars will lead short lives—in cosmic terms—of millions of years. After that, their nuclear fuel is spent and the stars explode as supernovas leaving behind either black holes with masses less than about a hundred times that of the Sun, or neutron stars with a mass approximately equal to one and a half times of the Sun.
Some of these black holes and neutron stars have closecompanion stars, and siphon gas from their stellar partner. This gas falls towards the black hole or neutron star, forming a spinning disk like water circling a drain, and becomes heated by friction. This superheated gas produces large amounts of X-rays that Chandra can detect.
Astronomers are on a quest to study AM 0644-741 and others like it to better understand the origins of ring galaxies and the intriguing objects that they contain.
Credit: NASA Chandra
Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+European Space Agency, ESA
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #HD #Video
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A Quick Look at Ring Galaxy AM 0644 | NASA Chandra
A new ring of black holes or neutron stars has been discovered in a galaxy about 300 million light years from Earth. This ring was forged when one galaxy smashed through the middle of another, creating ripples in the gas. As this gas expanded through the impacted galaxy, called AM 0644-741, it triggered waves of star formation.
The most massive of these stars lasted only a few million years, before exploding as supernovas and leaving behind black holes or neutron stars as their remains.
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory can detect some of these black holes and neutron stars as they siphon off material from stars that orbit them.
Studying 'ring' galaxies such as this one will help astronomers better understand what happens when galaxies clash in catastrophic impacts.
Credit: NASA Chandra
Duration: 1 minute, 8 seconds
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+European Space Agency, ESA
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #HD #Video
A new ring of black holes or neutron stars has been discovered in a galaxy about 300 million light years from Earth. This ring was forged when one galaxy smashed through the middle of another, creating ripples in the gas. As this gas expanded through the impacted galaxy, called AM 0644-741, it triggered waves of star formation.
The most massive of these stars lasted only a few million years, before exploding as supernovas and leaving behind black holes or neutron stars as their remains.
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory can detect some of these black holes and neutron stars as they siphon off material from stars that orbit them.
Studying 'ring' galaxies such as this one will help astronomers better understand what happens when galaxies clash in catastrophic impacts.
Credit: NASA Chandra
Duration: 1 minute, 8 seconds
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+European Space Agency, ESA
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #HD #Video
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Cosmic Collision Forges Galactic One Ring | NASA Chandra
What happens when one galaxy punches through another?
Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a ring of black holes or neutron stars in a galaxy 300 million light years from Earth. This ring, while not wielding power over Middle Earth, may help scientists better understand what happens when galaxies smash into one another in catastrophic impacts.
In this new composite image of the galaxy AM 0644-741 (AM 0644 for short), X-rays from Chandra (purple) have been combined with optical data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). The Chandra data reveal the presence of very bright X-ray sources, most likely binary systems powered by either a stellar-mass black hole or neutron star, in a remarkable ring.
Where did the ring of black holes or neutron stars in AM 0644 come from? Astronomers think that it was created when one galaxy was pulled into another galaxy by the force of gravity. The first galaxy generated ripples in the gas of the second galaxy, AM 0644, located in the lower right. These ripples then produced an expanding ring of gas in AM 0644 that triggered the birth of new stars. The first galaxy is possibly the one located in the lower left of the image.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, controls Chandra's science and flight operations.
Image Credits:
X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF/A. Wolter et al
Optical: NASA/STScI
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education
What happens when one galaxy punches through another?
Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a ring of black holes or neutron stars in a galaxy 300 million light years from Earth. This ring, while not wielding power over Middle Earth, may help scientists better understand what happens when galaxies smash into one another in catastrophic impacts.
In this new composite image of the galaxy AM 0644-741 (AM 0644 for short), X-rays from Chandra (purple) have been combined with optical data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). The Chandra data reveal the presence of very bright X-ray sources, most likely binary systems powered by either a stellar-mass black hole or neutron star, in a remarkable ring.
Where did the ring of black holes or neutron stars in AM 0644 come from? Astronomers think that it was created when one galaxy was pulled into another galaxy by the force of gravity. The first galaxy generated ripples in the gas of the second galaxy, AM 0644, located in the lower right. These ripples then produced an expanding ring of gas in AM 0644 that triggered the birth of new stars. The first galaxy is possibly the one located in the lower left of the image.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, controls Chandra's science and flight operations.
Image Credits:
X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF/A. Wolter et al
Optical: NASA/STScI
Release Date: September 6, 2018
+NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
+Hubble Space Telescope
+NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
+Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Ring #AM0644 #AM0644741 #Volans #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #Marshall #MSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education
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