NASA drops 25 dazzling images to celebrate Chandra X-ray space telescope

Chandra marks 25 years of space observations on July 23, 2024.

By Popular Science Team

Posted on Jul 23, 2024 10:54 AM EDT

20 minute read

25 images of space
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Chandra, NASA released 25 incredible images.  

Credit: NASA

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On July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray space telescope began its journey. The orbiting telescope launched aboard Space Shuttle Columbia and was named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. While originally only intended to be operational for five years, Chandra has spent 25 years floating in space, transmitting useful scientific insights and becoming a stalwart source of astronomy research.

To commemorate Chandra’s quarter-century anniversary, NASA has released 25 new images created with data from the X-ray Observatory. The space agency also provided vivid descriptions of the imagery so you can grasp the magnitude of Chandra’s extraordinary deep space observations.

Jupiter is set against the blackness of space, flanked by neon purple blobs
In this composite image of Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun is set against the blackness of space, flanked by neon purple blobs. Here, Jupiter is presented in exceptionally clear focus. More than a dozen bands of swirling gas streak the surface, each a different texture and shade of grey. The gas giant is encircled by a fine, sky-blue ring, the same color as the large storm which swirls on its surface at our lower right. At the top edge of Jupiter, tilted just to our right of center, is a neon purple strip. A similar, smaller line of neon purple can be found at the bottom edge of the planet. Capping the planet’s magnetic poles, these purple strips represent X-ray auroras, created when high-energy particles collide with gas in the planet’s atmosphere. At our right and left, large hazy blobs of neon purple flank Jupiter, some larger than the gas giant itself. Like the auroras, these purple clouds represent X-rays observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, S. Wolk
neon purple mushroom at the heart of a colorful web of veins and filaments
This composite image features the remnant of a supernova explosion, which resembles a neon purple mushroom at the heart of a colorful web of veins and filaments. Known as the Crab Nebula, the heavily veined blue and red cloud of gas is set against the blackness of space. At the core of the nebula is a pulsar, a rotating neutron star emitting electromagnetic radiation. Here, the pulsar appears as a bright white dot sitting in a neon purple cloud. Surrounding the dot are white rings. These are created by particles driven away from the pulsar and colliding with gas in the nebula to produce X-rays. From this angle, the rings and purple cloud combine to resemble a mushroom cap. Completing the look of a mushroom is a thin mushroom stem emerging from the white dot. This is a narrow beam of particles blasting away from the pulsar. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand and L. Frattare
tall columns of grey gas and dust emerge from the bottom edge of the image, stretching toward our upper right. Backed by dark orange and pink mist, the cloudy grey columns are surrounded by dozens of soft, glowing, dots in whites, reds, blues, yellows, and purple
This composite image features a region of star formation known as the Pillars of Creation. Here, tall columns of grey gas and dust emerge from the bottom edge of the image, stretching toward our upper right. Backed by dark orange and pink mist, the cloudy grey columns are surrounded by dozens of soft, glowing, dots in whites, reds, blues, yellows, and purples. These dots are young stars emitting X-ray and infrared light. Churning with turbulent gas and dust, the columns lean to our right with small offshoots pointing in the same direction. The misty glow, colorful stars, and lifelike grey dust formations combine to create an image of yearning cloud creatures at dusk, reaching for something just out of frame. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXO/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare
At our lower right, an opaque cloud resembling a veined slug rises out of a muddy brown mist. Blue and grey clouds with hints of brown stretch from our lower left, to our upper right.
In this composite image, several pink and white stars gleam through murky cloud formations. These are young stars detected by Chandra. At our lower right, an opaque cloud resembling a veined slug rises out of a muddy brown mist. Blue and grey clouds with hints of brown stretch from our lower left, to our upper right. There, near the upper righthand corner, two long black triangles appear to burst from a central gleaming star. These triangles are in fact shadows from the young star, cast on distant blue and grey clouds. The eerie shape, reminiscent of the Batman call sign projected against a cloudy Gotham sky, has earned the phenomenon the nickname The Bat Shadow. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
a brilliant white dot that lights the clouds from within. The jet emerges from this dot, a speckled white and purple beam shooting toward our upper left.
In this composite image, a supermassive black hole at the center of the Centaurus A galaxy shoots an enormous jet of particles into a star-packed sky. Here, Centaurus A resembles an inky purple cloud sitting atop a translucent red cloud. At the heart of the combined cloud structure is the black hole, a brilliant white dot that lights the clouds from within. The jet emerges from this dot, a speckled white and purple beam shooting toward our upper left. Surrounding the entire galaxy is a faint translucent blue bubble shape, which is most pronounced at our lower right. This bubble was created by the jets from the black hole. Both the jets and the bubble are detected by Chandra. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: ESO; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, J. Major
a large spiral galaxy with two elongated arms that stretch toward our upper right and lower left. Near the white dot at the heart of the galaxy, a cloud of neon purple tints the arms, which appear steel blue at the tips
In this composite image, a large spiral galaxy has some of its superheated gas stolen by a smaller, nearby neighbor. Centered in the frame, NGC 6872 is a large spiral galaxy with two elongated arms that stretch toward our upper right and lower left. Near the white dot at the heart of the galaxy, a cloud of neon purple tints the arms, which appear steel blue at the tips. The purple represents hot gas detected by Chandra. Just to the upper left of NGC 6872 is a second spiral galaxy. Its spiraling arms are much smaller, but the bright white dot at its core is quite large, suggesting a supermassive black hole. Some of the steel blue matter and gas from NGC 6872’s lower arm appears to be floating toward the smaller galaxy, likely pulled toward the supermassive black hole. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, L. Frattare, and J. Major
composite image featuring a double star cluster, a blue-tinted cloud, and several neon purple dots
This composite image features a double star cluster, a blue-tinted cloud, and several neon purple dots. This double cluster is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a companion galaxy to the Milky Way. The bright, golden stars in the larger cluster fill the upper center of the image. The other cluster is much smaller and coincides with one of the neon purple circles located slightly above and to the right of the image’s center. This and the other purple circles are X-ray sources detected with Chandra. To our left of the combined cluster is a vertical streak of blue-tinted cloud. Extending beyond the upper and lower edges of the image, this section of cloud resembles wafting smoke from a cigarette. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, K. Arcand
image of the Cat’s Paw nebula showing brilliant red and purple clouds blanketing a black sky packed with stars.
In this composite image of the Cat’s Paw nebula, brilliant red and purple clouds blanket a black sky packed with stars. Throughout this star-forming region of the Milky Way, distinct pockets of glowing, brick red clouds are linked by wisps of purple. A cluster of the brightest stars in the image are found in the heart of the nebula. Many are neon purple, with glowing white dots at their core, representing young stars observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/SAO/CXC; Optical and H-alpha: ESO/MPG; Infrared: NASA/JPL-CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: Jason Major
a skeletal hand preparing to grab a glowing ember. The hand reaches up from the bottom of the image, the ghostly blue flesh and white bones representing pulsar wind nebula X-rays
In this composite image, a pulsar, a pulsar wind nebula, and a low energy X-ray cloud combine to create an uncanny scene of a skeletal hand preparing to grab a glowing ember. The hand reaches up from the bottom of the image, the ghostly blue flesh and white bones representing pulsar wind nebula X-rays observed by Chandra. A bright white spot in the wrist is the pulsar itself. Just beyond the hand’s fingertips, near our upper right, is a mottled yellow and orange shape that appears to glow from within. This is the low energy X-ray cloud observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DECaPS; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt
two star clusters, viewed through a churning tunnel of golden cloud. The cloud creates a border around the entire image, like a thick swirling smoke ring.
Astronomers nicknamed this region of star formation the “Cosmic Cliffs,” which is found in the nearby Carina Nebula. This composite image features two star clusters, viewed through a churning tunnel of golden cloud. The cloud creates a border around the entire image, like a thick swirling smoke ring. Beyond it, in the open center, is a vast field of neon purple specks. These specks are young stars observed by Chandra. Within the central field, two cluster groupings are suggested by separate swirls of faint, steel blue mist. One sits near our upper right. The other is near the bottom left, partially obscured by the golden yellow ring cloud. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Ludwig Maximilian Univ./T. Preibisch et al.; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk
composite image of the planetary nebula HB 5 resembles a bulbous bow tie in mottled purples. At the heart of the nebula, or the knot of the bow tie, is a brilliant golden white explosion.
Planetary nebula HB 5, an end phase of a Sun-like star, was discovered by famous astronomer Edwin Hubble. This composite image of the planetary nebula HB 5 resembles a bulbous bow tie in mottled purples. At the heart of the nebula, or the knot of the bow tie, is a brilliant golden white explosion. This is a Sun-like star towards the end of its life. To its right and left are matching bulbous spheres of churning purple gas. Each sphere of gas is several times larger than the exploding knot between them. Also present in the nebula are faint clouds in neon blue and mustard yellow. The blue cloud, most prominent at our upper left, represents X-rays observed by Chandra. The mustard yellow cloud, which surrounds the exploding star, represents radio waves observed by ALMA. Image:  X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Radio: NSF/ESO/NRAO/ALMA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, J. Major
a neon purple mushroom at the heart of a colorful web of veins and filaments
One of the closest regions of star formation to Earth, newly-formed stars in the Orion Nebula are detected by Chandra. In this composite image, a collection of neon pink and white stars gleam through a haze of wispy clouds. The young stars range in size from tiny specks to plump circles. Many have white cores and are surrounded by neon pink rings, identifying stars detected by Chandra. Some display long, ruler-straight diffraction spikes. Near the upper right of the image is a burst of red cloud that resembles a thick shock of hair. Both the red burst and the collection of stars are muted by hazy clouds, as if viewed through wafting smoke rising out of a campfire. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand and L. Frattare
The galaxy sits in the center of a glowing white streak, at the heart of a misty white pool. Flecks of white and neon purple speckle the image, set against the blackness of space
This composite image features a pair of merging galaxies, each resembling a brilliant white dot, earning the pair the nickname ‘The Eyes’. Near our lower left is the galaxy NGC 4438. This bright white dot is surrounded by a neon purple cloud of hot gas seen with Chandra. An inky black cloud nestled in a vertical strip of haze partially blocks our view of the neon purple, superheated gas. At our upper right is the second galaxy, NGC 4435. This bright white dot is surrounded by a thin, neon purple ring. The galaxy sits in the center of a glowing white streak, at the heart of a misty white pool. Flecks of white and neon purple speckle the image, set against the blackness of space. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: ESO; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
This composite image features a row of bright spots and translucent swirls, set against a backdrop of purple and red clouds and stars. The clouds show hot gas seen with Chandra. The translucent threads, which are mysterious sources of radio waves, create clusters, streaks, and ribbons. Several of these distinct shapes resemble smoke trails captured on film. While most of the distinct swirls and bright spots sit in an orderly row across the middle of the image, one very bright spot sits at our lower righthand corner. This is the area around Sagittarius C, a bright star forming region, which here resembles a golden white orb ringed with hints of green.
The center of our Milky Way is blocked by gas and dust in many types of light, but X-rays can penetrate and reveal threads of superheated gas and bursts from our galaxy’s supermassive black hole. This composite image features a row of bright spots and translucent swirls, set against a backdrop of purple and red clouds and stars. The clouds show hot gas seen with Chandra. The translucent threads, which are mysterious sources of radio waves, create clusters, streaks, and ribbons. Several of these distinct shapes resemble smoke trails captured on film. While most of the distinct swirls and bright spots sit in an orderly row across the middle of the image, one very bright spot sits at our lower righthand corner. This is the area around Sagittarius C, a bright star forming region, which here resembles a golden white orb ringed with hints of green. Image:  X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF/SARAO/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk
two blue and red speckled arms spiral around a black hole at the heart of the galaxy, known as NGC 7469. Faint clouds of pale blue mist trace the lines of the speckled arms, muting the colors in the image
This composite image features a spiral galaxy, viewed face on. Here, two blue and red speckled arms spiral around a black hole at the heart of the galaxy, known as NGC 7469. Faint clouds of pale blue mist trace the lines of the speckled arms, muting the colors in the image. Here, the black hole at the center of the galaxy is represented by a bright white dot encircled by a mottled, neon purple ring. This dot and ring represent X-ray emission from hot gas around the black hole. Due to the perfect face-on angle, six red diffraction spikes radiate from the glowing black hole, like laser beams. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Xiamen Univ./X. Xu; Optical/Infrared: NASA/ESA/UVA, NRAO, SUNY at Stony Brook/A. S. Evans, Hubble Heritage–ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/L. Armus, A. S. Evans; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
At the center of this composite image is a small object resembling a glowing pink Cheerio. Inside this ring is a pale, steel blue dot containing debris from the star that exploded.. The ring sits at the center of a ghostly figure 8, outlined in brick orange. This entire structure is surrounded by a packed field of stars, specks and dots in white, blue, and orange.
At the center of this composite image is a small object resembling a glowing pink Cheerio. This is supernova SN 1987A, named after the year the core-collapse explosion was first observed on Earth. It is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small nearby galaxy. The pink Cheerio, or equatorial ring, represents material ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova explosion. The blast wave from the supernova is striking the ring, causing it to produce X-rays detected by Chandra. Inside this ring is a pale, steel blue dot containing debris from the star that exploded.. The ring sits at the center of a ghostly figure 8, outlined in brick orange. This entire structure is surrounded by a packed field of stars, specks and dots in white, blue, and orange. A long, brick orange cloud hovers near the left edge of the image. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical/Infrared: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
to our right of center is a large white and pink dot surrounded by a neon purple streak.
This composite image features approximately one dozen galaxies, set against a black backdrop dotted with tiny specks of light. Some of the galaxies resemble glowing white dots. Other galaxies resemble disks, or have glowing outer rings. These galaxies are part of a galaxy cluster containing over a thousand galaxies. To our right of center is a large white and pink dot surrounded by a neon purple streak. This is the galaxy M86 traveling through the cluster at about three million miles per hour. The neon purple streak represents hot gas detected with Chandra. This hot gas is being pulled from the traveling galaxy as it collides with hot gas in the cluster. Image: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM) ESA; H-alpha: NoirLab/NSF/KPNO; Optical: SDSS; CalTech/Palomar; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major and K. Arcand
a single, bright, golden white dot sits at the center of the image. The rose-pink cloud surrounding the dot appears soft and airy, like cotton candy
This composite image features an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, surrounded by a soft, rose-pink cloud of X-ray gas. Named Arp 220, this galaxy is the result of a collision between two galaxies, each about the size of our own Milky Way. Here, a single, bright, golden white dot sits at the center of the image. The rose-pink cloud surrounding the dot appears soft and airy, like cotton candy. Upon close inspection, feint orange veins can be discerned, marbling the X-ray gas cloud seen with Chandra. Surrounding the gas cloud are other distant galaxies and stars, set against the blackness of space. Most are orange or white, and range from tiny specks to small glowing ovals. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare, J. Major
a bright, massive star, WR 124, gleams with diffraction spikes, surrounded by a churning wind cloud in reds and purples. With its dusty rose coloring, and the bright, gleaming star at its core, the wind cloud resembles the inside of a delicate flower with opening petals.
In this composite image, a bright, massive star, WR 124, gleams with diffraction spikes, surrounded by a churning wind cloud in reds and purples. With its dusty rose coloring, and the bright, gleaming star at its core, the wind cloud resembles the inside of a delicate flower with opening petals. Dozens of other bright stars surround WR 124, including white dots rimmed with neon purple, and gleaming white dots with cool blue diffraction spikes. The purple dots are stars detected with Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: (Herschel) ESA/NASA/Caltech, (Spitzer) NASA/JPL/Caltech, (WISE) NASA/JPL/Caltech; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Webb ERO Production Team; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
the nebula is represented by a small golden yellow dot at the center of the image. The dot appears to hover inside a tangle of light blue veins, which resemble a lightning cluster
This composite image depicts a supernova remnant, which has a bright nebula at its core, surrounded by a cloud of X-rays detected with Chandra. Here, the nebula is represented by a small golden yellow dot at the center of the image. The dot appears to hover inside a tangle of light blue veins, which resemble a lightning cluster. Enveloping the nebula is the massive x-ray cloud, which occupies much of the image. Round in shape, the diffuse X-ray cloud is shown here in mottled neon purple. It represents the debris from the star destroyed in the supernova explosion. Images: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/Spitzer; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare
rings of neon blue and brilliant white emit veins of polished gold. The rings and their arching veins encircle a place of relative calm at the center of the supernova remnant
This image features the Cassiopeia A supernova, an expanding ball of matter and energy ejected from an exploding star. Here, rings of neon blue and brilliant white emit veins of polished gold. The rings and their arching veins encircle a place of relative calm at the center of the supernova remnant. This hole at the center of the circle, and the three-dimensionality conveyed by the rings and their arching veins, give this image of Cassiopeia A the look of a giant, crackling, electric blue donut. X-rays detected by Chandra show debris from the destroyed star and the blast wave from the explosion. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/D. Milisavljevic (Purdue Univ.), I. De Looze (UGent), T. Temim (Princeton Univ.); Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, J. Schmidt and K. Arcand
dozens of tiny golden specks surrounded by a hazy, purple
This composite image features dozens of tiny golden specks, each a distinct galaxy. The cluster, known as MACS J0035, is surrounded by a hazy, purple, cloud of hot gas detected by Chandra. From this distance, most of the galaxies in the cluster resemble glowing specks and very short streaks. However, upon close inspection, some of the oblong specks and streaks are revealed to have spiral arms. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
star cluster resembles a black canvas stippled with thousands of drops of colorful paint, flicked from an artist’s brush
This image of the NGC 3532 star cluster resembles a black canvas stippled with thousands of drops of colorful paint, flicked from an artist’s brush. From this vantage point, the stars range from minuscule to merely tiny. They range in color from white and golden yellow, to oranges, reds, blues and purples. Some of the stars have white cores with colorful outlines, while others gleam and have large, translucent, outer glows. The purple and white stars are those detected in X-rays by Chandra. A faint, hazy, brick orange cloud streaks across the middle of the image. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: ESO; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major
At the center of the frame is the largest and brightest dot, a golden galaxy emitting four diffraction spikes. Surrounding this galaxy are translucent neon purple gas clouds
In this composite image of the Abell 2125 galaxy cluster, several clouds of superheated gas surround a bright, gleaming galaxy. Here, the entire image is speckled with glowing golden yellow and neon purple dots, individual galaxies within the cluster. At the center of the frame is the largest and brightest dot, a golden galaxy emitting four diffraction spikes. Surrounding this galaxy are translucent neon purple gas clouds, representing X-rays observed by Chandra. Faint pockets of X-ray gas are found throughout the image, but the most prominent clouds flank the central galaxy at our upper left and lower right. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NSF/NOIRLab/KPNO/F. Owen; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, K. Arcand
brilliant black hole glows white at the center of the image, its outer edges tinted bright blue
This composite image features a close look at the supermassive black hole at the heart of the spiral galaxy known as NGC 1365. The brilliant black hole glows white at the center of the image, its outer edges tinted bright blue. From this core, two thick ropey red arms spiral out. Continuing their spiral curves, the arms extend well beyond the edges of the frame. Dotting the image are a series of white spots with neon blue outer edges. These are stars paired with smaller black holes or neutron stars, observed by Chandra. Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: ESO/VLT; Infrared: NASA/ESA/STScI/JWST/PHANGS; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare, J. Major

View the full Chandra 25th anniversary gallery here.