Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Marshall Science Research & Projects

Science & Research

The Universe

Black Hole Jet Stumbles Into Something in the Dark

Even matter ejected by black holes can run into objects in the dark. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found an unusual mark from a giant black hole’s powerful jet striking an unidentified object in its path. The discovery was made in a galaxy called Centaurus A (Cen A), located about 12 million light-years […]

Posted December 10, 2024

General

Hubble Space Telescope

Nebulae

Neutron Stars

Pulsars

Stars

The Universe

X-ray Binaries

NASA’s Chandra, Hubble Tune Into ‘Flame-Throwing’ Guitar Nebula

Normally found only in heavy metal bands or certain post-apocalyptic films, a “flame-throwing guitar” has now been spotted moving through space. Astronomers have captured movies of this extreme cosmic object using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope.

Posted November 20, 2024

Astrophysics

Black Holes

Goddard Space Flight Center

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

The Universe

Astronomers Find Early Fast-Feeding Black Hole Using NASA Telescopes

A rapidly feeding black hole at the center of a dwarf galaxy in the early universe, shown in this artist’s concept, may hold important clues to the evolution of supermassive black holes in general.

Posted November 13, 2024

Spitzer Space Telescope

Star Clusters

Stars

Planets Beware: NASA Unburies Danger Zones of Star Cluster

Most stars form in collections, called clusters or associations, that include very massive stars. These giant stars send out large amounts of high-energy radiation, which can disrupt relatively fragile disks of dust and gas that are in the process of coalescing to form new planets. A team of astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in […]

Posted October 28, 2024

Galaxies

The Universe

NASA’s Chandra Finds Galaxy Cluster That Crosses the Streams

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have found a galaxy cluster has two streams of superheated gas crossing one another. This result shows that crossing the streams may lead to the creation of new structure.

Posted September 19, 2024

Active Galaxies

Astrophysics

Astrophysics Division

Galaxies

Goddard Space Flight Center

Hubble Space Telescope

Missions

Spiral Galaxies

The Universe

NASA’s Hubble, Chandra Find Supermassive Black Hole Duo

Like two Sumo wrestlers squaring off, the closest confirmed pair of supermassive black holes have been observed in tight proximity. These are located approximately 300 light-years apart and were detected using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Posted September 9, 2024

New NASA Sonifications Listen to the Universe’s Past

A quarter of a century ago, NASA released the “first light” images from the agency’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This introduction to the world of Chandra’s high-resolution X-ray imaging capabilities included an unprecedented view of Cassiopeia A, the remains of an exploded star located about 11,000 light-years from Earth.

Posted September 3, 2024

Crab Nebula

Galaxies

Nebulae

Cassiopeia A, Then the Cosmos: 25 Years of Chandra X-ray Science

By Rick Smith On Aug. 26, 1999, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory opened its powerful telescopic eye in orbit and captured its awe-inspiring “first light” images of Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant roughly 11,000 light-years from Earth.

Posted August 26, 2024

Astrophysics

Black Holes

Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Research

Science & Research

Supermassive Black Holes

NASA Telescopes Work Out Black Hole’s Snack Schedule

By using new data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory as well as ESA’s XMM-Newton, a team of researchers have made important headway in understanding how — and when — a supermassive black hole obtains and then consumes material, as described in our latest press release. This artist’s impression shows a […]

Posted August 14, 2024

Astrophysics