Published on StarDate Online (https://legacy.stardate.org)

Home > Ring Around the Galaxy

Ring Around the Galaxy [1]

A phalanx of black holes or neutron stars surrounds the ring galaxy AM 0644-741, which is about 300 million light-years from Earth. Another galaxy plunged through it in the distant past, altering its structure and triggering the birth of millions of new stars, which outline the oval-shaped ring. Some of those stars have exploded, leaving behind black holes or neutron stars that are pulling in the gas and dust around them. That makes them shine brightly in X-rays, which are seen as bright pink spots along the blue ring. This image combines visible and X-ray wavelengths observed by two space telescopes. [NASA/CXC/INAF/A. Wolter et al; NASA/STScI]

Black holes around a ring galaxy
  • About StarDate
  • Underwriting
  • SkyTips Sign-Up
  • Change mailing address
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright and Usage
  • Contact

StarDate is brought to you in part through the generous support of our underwriters.
Interested in underwriting? Let us know

 

FacebookTwitterYouTube

©2022 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory


Source URL:https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/ring-around-galaxy

Links
[1] https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/ring-around-galaxy