X-ray, Infrared, Radio & Optical Images of NGC 4258
NGC 4258 is a spiral galaxy well known to astronomers for having two so-called anomalous arms that glow in X-ray, optical, and radio light. Rather than being aligned with the plane of the galaxy, they intersect with it. This composite image of NGC 4258 shows the galaxy in X-rays from Chandra (blue), radio waves from the VLA (purple), optical data from Hubble (yellow and blue), and infrared with Spitzer (red). Researchers are using all of these telescopes to better understand how the supermassive black hole is affecting the galaxy and its anomalous arms.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Caltech/P.Ogle et al; Optical: NASA/STScI & R. Gendler; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA)

X-ray and infrared image of NGC 4258
A composite image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258 showing X-ray emission observed with Chandra in blue and infrared emission observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope in red and green. The infrared emission is produced by hydrogen molecules. A labeled version of the image shows the direction of radio jets, along with the location of the supermassive black hole driving these jets and "hotspots" where the jets are striking gas in the galaxy. The X-ray and hydrogen emission are both thought to be caused by shocks, similar to a sonic boom from a supersonic plane. The similarity in location between the X-ray and hydrogen emission and the radio jets implies that the jets have caused the shocks.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Caltech/P.Ogle et al; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech)