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Galactic Center Region in X-rays from Chandra
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.17h 45m 36.0s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-28° 55' 58.8"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Sagittarius
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.26,000 light-years (8 kiloparsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.The image of the galactic center is 32.5 arcminutes (246 light-years or 75.5 parsecs) wide.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.The science team was led by Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst). Image courtesy of NASA/CXC/UMass/Q.D. Wang et al. - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.CXO>ACIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.March 2000 - July 2007
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.1-3 keV, 3-5 keV, 5-8 keV
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Galactic Center
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Center of the Milky Way Galaxy
- Release DateNovember 10, 2009
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Great Observatories Celebrate International Year of Astronomy
- Credit
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
