Starsglaxiesspace - SPACE

Cut Timber

Merging Galaxies Bursting With Light - NGC 2207 and IC 2163

Just like our Milky Way galaxy, NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are sprinkled with many star systems known as X-ray binaries, which consist of a star in a tight orbit around either a neutron star or a stellar-mass black hole. The strong gravity of the neutron star or black hole pulls matter from the companion star. As this matter falls toward the neutron star or black hole, it is heated to millions of degrees and generates X-rays. These special objects are in a category of objects known as ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) and have been found using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Space Observatory. This Image is a mix of the optical and X-ray wavelength, with the optical showing the galaxies structure and the bursts of pink and purple representing concentrations of X-rays.

Credit: NASA/Chandra/Cal Tech/Harvard