The most tightly coupled pair of supermassive black holes ever seen

The most tightly coupled pair of supermassive black holes ever seen

An intriguing source has been discovered in the nearby Andromeda galaxy using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes. Previously thought to be part of the Milky Way's neighbor galaxy, the new research shows this source…

Galaxy-cluster collisions set off celestial fireworks display

Galaxy-cluster collisions set off celestial fireworks display

A giant collision of several galaxy clusters, each containing hundreds of galaxies, has produced this spectacular panorama of shocks and energy. The collisions generated shock waves that set off a celestial fireworks display of bright radio emission, seen as red and…

X-ray ‘tsunami’ discovered in Perseus galaxy cluster

X-ray ‘tsunami’ discovered in Perseus galaxy cluster

Scientists have discovered a vast wave of hot gas in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster, spanning some 200 000 light-years. This is twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio…

New insight into the space environment surrounding Pluto

New insight into the space environment surrounding Pluto

Chandra X-ray Observatory was aimed several times at Pluto from February 2014 through August 2015 and made a surprising detection of X-rays being emitted from this largest and best-known object in the Solar System's outermost regions. The observations offer new…

X-ray observatory captures expanding debris from a stellar explosion

X-ray observatory captures expanding debris from a stellar explosion

Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and many other telescopes astronomers are observing the debris field from supernova explosion first extensively observed and written about by Danish…

Insight into one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades

Insight into one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades

On January 21, 2014, astronomers around the world witnessed a supernova soon after it exploded in the Messier 82, or M82, galaxy. It is one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades. Telescopes across the globe and in space turned their at

Chandra catches our supermassive black hole rejecting material

Chandra catches our supermassive black hole rejecting material

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have taken a major step in explaining why material around the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy is extraordinarily faint in X-rays. This discovery holds important implications for understanding