Triple View of the Sombrero Galaxy

When we look into the skies with our eyes, we see in the visible spectrum. Although objects can look beautiful, it’s only a fraction of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. To really see and understand the Universe, you’ll want to look in different regions of the spectrum. The three great observatories: Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra, have teamed up to spotlight the Sombrero Galaxy (aka M104) in three different wavelengths.

The Chandra view is in X-rays, and reveals a diffuse glow of emissions extending 60,000 light years from the centre of the galaxy. Astronomers think this extend glow occurs from a powerful galactic wind spreading away from a series of supernovae that exploded in the bulge and disk. The Hubble view is in green, and reveals what we can see in the visible spectrum. The starlight is partially blocked by a rim of dust surrounding the galaxy’s outer edge. With Spitzer in infrared, we also see the rim of dust, but much more detail into the central bulge of stars at the middle of the galaxy.

Original Source: Chandra News Release