Chandra Release - December 17, 2020

Visual Description: Abell 2261

The image features a galaxy cluster named Abell 2261, which is dominated by a bright purple-pink fuzzy cloud that stands out against the dark backdrop. The galaxy cluster appears to be shaped like a round cotton ball, with a small bright core, and many small white dots scattered around the image. This composite image of Abell 2261 contains optical data from Hubble and the Subaru Telescope showing galaxies in the cluster and in the background, and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory data showing hot gas (colored purple-pink) pervading the cluster. The middle of the image shows the large elliptical galaxy in the center of the cluster.