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Old 05-12-2008, 08:32 AM
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Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hobart, TAS
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M101 (Pinwheel) X-Ray by Chandra

After a couple of great images of the Pinwheel galaxy which have been posted here on IIS, I thought that this was a different perspective on the same object.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/image...ture_1235.html

Quote:
Chandra Embraces Hot 'Arms' of Pinwheel Galaxy

With a diameter of about 170,000 light years, galaxy Messier 101 (M101) is nearly twice the size of our Milky Way. Its orientation allows telescopes to see its spiral structure face-on, inspiring its nickname -- the Pinwheel Galaxy. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has obtained one of the longest exposures ever seen of a spiral galaxy in x-rays. The glowing lights indicate massive stars, black holes and supernova explosions, all wrapped in the hot gas "arms" of the galaxy.

Image Credit: NASA/CXC/JHU/K.Kuntz et al.
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