Andromeda, our closest galactic neighbor, is 2.5 million light-years away from the Milky Way. A new composite image reveals the galaxy in five different wavelengths of light, providing a stunningly detailed view. Telescopes capture images in different wavelengths by observing specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Astronomers featured X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra Observatory to reveal high-energy radiation around Andromeda’s supermassive black hole. The image combines data from various sources, including XMM-Newton, GALEX, Spitzer Space Telescope, COBE, Planck, Herschel, and ground-based telescopes.
Andromeda is a classic spiral galaxy with 220,000 light-years in diameter, stretching twice the size of the Milky Way. The two galaxies are on an unfortunate collision course, expected to merge in about 4.5 billion years.
Scientists also created a musical composition from Andromeda’s data by mapping each type of light to different notes and adjusting brightness and vertical location for volume and pitch. The image was released in honor of Vera Rubin, who discovered evidence for dark matter in the galaxy.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/new-images-show-andromeda-galaxy-as-youve-never-seen-it-before-2000620670