Andrew Yee[_1_]
May 2nd 07, 03:53 PM
Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass.
(Phone: 617/496-7998)
For Release: April 30, 2007
Sombrero Galaxy: A Great Observatories View
[http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2007/sombrero/]
The Sombrero, also known as M104, is one of the largest galaxies in the
nearby Virgo cluster, about 28 million light years from Earth. This Great
Observatories view of the famous Sombrero galaxy was made using NASA's
Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space
Telescope. The main figure shows the combined image from the three
telescopes, while the three inset images show the separate observatory
views.
The Chandra X-ray image (in blue) shows hot gas in the galaxy and point
sources that are a mixture of objects within the Sombrero as well as quasars
in the background. The Chandra observations show that diffuse X-ray emission
extends over 60,000 light years from the center of the Sombrero. (The galaxy
itself spans 50,000 light years across.) Scientists think this extended
X-ray glow may be the result of a wind from the galaxy, primarily being
driven by supernovas that have exploded within its bulge and disk. The
Hubble optical image (green) shows a bulge of starlight partially blocked by
a rim of dust, as this spiral galaxy is being observed edge on. That same
rim of dust appears bright in Spitzer's infrared image, which also reveals
that Sombrero's central bulge of stars.
Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass.
(Phone: 617/496-7998)
For Release: April 30, 2007
Sombrero Galaxy: A Great Observatories View
[http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2007/sombrero/]
The Sombrero, also known as M104, is one of the largest galaxies in the
nearby Virgo cluster, about 28 million light years from Earth. This Great
Observatories view of the famous Sombrero galaxy was made using NASA's
Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space
Telescope. The main figure shows the combined image from the three
telescopes, while the three inset images show the separate observatory
views.
The Chandra X-ray image (in blue) shows hot gas in the galaxy and point
sources that are a mixture of objects within the Sombrero as well as quasars
in the background. The Chandra observations show that diffuse X-ray emission
extends over 60,000 light years from the center of the Sombrero. (The galaxy
itself spans 50,000 light years across.) Scientists think this extended
X-ray glow may be the result of a wind from the galaxy, primarily being
driven by supernovas that have exploded within its bulge and disk. The
Hubble optical image (green) shows a bulge of starlight partially blocked by
a rim of dust, as this spiral galaxy is being observed edge on. That same
rim of dust appears bright in Spitzer's infrared image, which also reveals
that Sombrero's central bulge of stars.