Chandra: 3c438 Animations

Synopsis

Since its launch on July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory has been NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy. These three short animations show the 3C438 galaxy.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

2007

Year of production

2007

Notes

Needs free OMN Viewer to be downloaded

Subjects

Astronomy

Keywords

black holes; galaxies; X-ray astronomy

Online availability

URI

http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2007/3c438/animations.html

Price

free

Delivery

Streamed/Download

Sections

Title

Chandra: 3C438 and Surrounding Galaxy Cluster

Synopsis

Chandra’s images of 3C438 reveal evidence for one of the most energetic events in the local Universe. An arc-like feature to the lower left in the cluster’s hot gas is about 2 million light years long. VLA Radio Image of 3C438 Astronomers have determined that an enormous amount of energy would be required to produce such a large structure. One plausible scenario is that two massive clusters collided at high velocity and later merged. This would have created a shock front in the hot gas that could account for the ridge seen in the Chandra data. This sequence of images shows how 3c438, the galaxy at the center of this cluster, looks in various types of light. The X-ray image shows a much different structure from the optical image, including a massive arc-like structure to the lower left. There are also hints of a cavity in the hot gas to the upper left. Jets seen in the radio image do not point in the same directions as the cavity structure, adding more mysteries about this system. [Runtime: 0:25]

Duration

1 mins

Title

Animation of Galaxy Cluster Merger

Synopsis

Astronomers think the most likely explanation for what is seen in 3C438 was the powerful collision of two massive galaxy clusters. Such clusters are among the largest structures in the Universe. If two clusters collided at high speeds, it would unleash an enormous amount of energy as Chandra’s X-ray data indicates.
[Runtime: 0:38]

Duration

1 mins

Title

Animation of Black Hole Eruption

Synopsis

A possible detection of a cavity in the hot gas around 3C438, seen by Chandra, would require a tremendous amount of energy to produce. This animation shows how astronomers think such X-ray cavities are generated. When matter funnels into a supermassive black hole, some of the matter is expelled in a high-speed jet. Such jets would carve space into the hot gas, creating cavities.
[Run Time: 0:17]

Duration

1 mins

Production Company

Name

NASA

Web

http://www.nasa.gov/ External site opens in new window

Notes

use for National Aeronautics & Space Administration

Distributor

Name

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Name

Open Media Network

Email

programming@omn.org

Web

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Phone

+1 650 352-1399

Address

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