"Hidden Treasures" Found

Every so often, our talented team gets to play with other colors in the crayon box -- that is, wavelengths outside the regime that Chandra observes. We do this for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that something great usually happens.

Take, for instance, this image of the galaxy NGC 3621 from ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. This gorgeous optical image was put together by Joe Depasquale, the Chandra image processor, and placed fifth in the Hidden Treasures competition. This contest invited people to use data in ESO’s archives to create the best images possible. This new image from Joe showcases NGC 3621, a spiral galaxy about 22 million light years from Earth.

Congratulations to Joe and all of the other winners of the Hidden Treasures contest. It is just yet another example of how much good data is now available from many of today's best telescopes, both in space and on the ground, for the public to access.

-Megan Watzke & the EPO team