The Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31), is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, approximately 2.5 million light-years away. Astronomers have long been fascinated by this neighboring galaxy, and recent data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided new insights into its structure and evolution.
The discovery of dark matter in M31 dates back to the 1960s, when astronomer Vera Rubin and her colleagues found that there was unseen matter affecting the galaxy’s rotation. This unknown material, now known as “dark matter,” remains one of the biggest open questions in astrophysics today.
A new composite image of Andromeda features data from some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, capturing light in different spectra, including X-rays, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio waves. Each type of light reveals new information about the galaxy, such as high-energy radiation around the supermassive black hole at its center.
The image is also sonified, with each layer separated out and rotated to stack on top of each other horizontally, mapped to different notes, and brightness controlling volume. This allows for a unique perspective on the galaxy’s composition and dynamics.
The release of this new image is a tribute to Dr. Vera Rubin’s groundbreaking work, which transformed our understanding of the universe. Her observations provided some of the earliest evidence that galaxies are embedded in massive halos of invisible material – dark matter.
The Chandra X-ray Observatory, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, has been instrumental in providing these new insights into M31. The observatory’s data will help answer one of the biggest open questions in astrophysics today: the nature of dark matter.
To learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission, visit the official website.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-chandra-shares-a-new-view-of-our-galactic-neighbor