Chandra Release - June 23, 2025

Visual Description: Cosmic Collection

This release is centered around a compilation of nine composite images, all featuring data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The images are presented in a three-by-three grid, and all include pinks and purples as dominant colors.

In the first row, at our upper left, is an image of N79, a giant star forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Here, shafts of golden light bursting out of a central glowing orb cut through misty purple clouds. Beside it, to our right, is an image of a spiral galaxy known as NGC 2146. Shown from the side, the galaxy resembles a streaky, tilted disk of purple cloud with a glowing golden haze at the center. Completing the top row, at the upper right of the three-by-three grid, is an image of IC 348, a star-forming region in our Milky Way galaxy. This other-worldly image resembles a tangle of dark pink hair dotted with dozens of colorful orbs in various sizes.

The first image in the middle row features the M83 spiral galaxy. Here, the disk-shaped galaxy is viewed face-on, with mottled, dusty-rose arms spiraling around a central golden core. To the right, in the center of the grid, is the M82 starburst galaxy. In this image, the tilted, powder blue, disk-shaped galaxy is viewed edge-on. Bursting out of the core in opposite directions, perpendicular to the disk, are giant, hazy purple gas clouds that extend for thousands of light-years. Beside it, at our right edge of the grid, is an image of NGC 1068, a relatively nearby spiral galaxy. This neighbor is viewed face-on, with its tightly packed golden arms and faint purple clouds spiraling around a hazy core. There, million-mile-per-hour winds swirl around a glowing black hole.

In the bottom row, at our lower left, is an image of NGC 346, a cluster of newborn stars. Here, hundreds of gleaming white dots with blue halos, and thousands of tiny specks, pack a misty purple cloud. Beside it, to our right, is an image of IC 1623, a system where two galaxies are in the process of merging. Backed by hot pink tendrils, swirls of speckled orange, and gauzy steel blue ribbons, two white clusters meet, gleaming with golden shafts of light. And finally, at our lower right hand corner, is Westerlund 1, Earth's biggest and closest neighboring "super" star cluster. Here, scores of gleaming white orbs and tiny specks pack the blackness of space, surrounded by a purple haze, and mottled golden clouds.