Chandra Release - October 8, 2015

Visual Description: Chandra Archive Collection

This 6-panel features multiwavelength images of objects ranging in location from within the Milky Way to billions of light years away in a 2 by 3 grid. The top row features 3 supernova remnants - stellar explosions forming shell-like, luminous patterns in complex colors. The bottom row shifts to galaxy clusters and a pulsar-created nebula, each offering its own mix of dynamic shapes. Starting on the left row and moving right and going to the bottom row, the objects are: W44 (G34.7-0.4) is a swirling shell of a supernova remnant. Hot gas fills the expanding blast wave cavity (X-ray data colored in blue), surrounded by infrared emission (green) and dense molecular clumps (red), forming a richly textured shell.  SN 1987a is a famous supernova displaying iconic ring structures with intricate glowing arcs. Pastels of pink and purple trace the shock-heated gas and ring material, set against pinpoint stars and a dark background. Kes 79 is another supernova remnant exhibiting an asymmetric, almost "clawed" appearance. Complex structures in pale tones - peach, green and orange - overlay a myriad of tiny background stars, giving a dramatic, fragmented look.  MS 0735.6+7421 is a galaxy cluster known for hosting a powerful eruption. Chandra's X-ray emission (colored in blue) reveals cavities blown into the cluster gas by jets from a supermassive black hole, combined with radio data in pink/magenta. 3C295 is a cluster permeated by a vast halo of superheated gas (pink X-ray data), with embedded galaxies glowing in optical wavelengths (yellow). This panel has a softer, smoother look, dominated by diffuse gas around a central concentration. The Guitar Nebula (pulsar B2224+65) features a long, narrow jet-looking structure that resembles a guitar neck, highlighted in X-ray (pink), set against a blue optical background showing stars and nebular features. The vivid structure extending across the image stands out dramatically.