NASA Releases Never-Before-Seen Images of the Peacock Galaxy 25 Years After Chandra X-ray Observatory Launch

NASA Celebrates 25th Anniversary Chandra X-ray Observatory Launch of sharing never-before-seen images of the largest known spiral galaxy in the universe.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory was Launched on July 23, 1999Since then, the observatory has scanned the universe for X-ray emissions from exploding stars, galaxy clusters and more, according to NASA. Return data To the Chandra X-ray Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Since its launch, the observatory has captured images of the aftermath of exploding stars, photographed the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, and helped scientists learn more about dark matter, dark energy, and black holes.

“For a quarter century, Chandra has made one amazing discovery after another,” Pat Slin, director of the Chandra X-ray Center, said at a news conference. NASA Press Release“Astronomers are using Chandra to investigate mysteries we didn’t even know about when we were building the telescope — including exoplanets and dark energy.”

The observatory has captured thousands of images of the spiral galaxy known as NGC 6872 since its launch. The galaxy, located in the constellation Peacock, is more than 522,000 light-years across, or more than five times the size of the Milky Way. According to NASA.

The 25 images released by NASA show a stunning swirl of red, blue and purple. Solar objects featured in the images include the Crab Nebula and Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant that is both striking in its appearance and massive in size. The observatory also captured images of Jupiter.

“On behalf of the STS-93 crew, we are incredibly proud of Chandra X-ray Observatory and the amazing team that built and launched this astronomical treasure,” said Eileen Collins, commander of the space shuttle Columbia mission that launched Chandra into space in 1999, in a NASA news release. “Chandra’s discoveries have continually amazed and impressed us over the past 25 years.”