In celebration of the 25th anniversary of its launch, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has released 25 stunning, never-before-seen images of a variety of cosmic objects.
These images, showcasing data from Chandra, highlight how X-ray astronomy allows us to explore the universe’s farthest reaches.
By integrating X-rays from Chandra with data from other space-based observatories and ground-based telescopes, astronomers can address some of the most profound questions and long-standing mysteries of the cosmos.
Launched on July 23, 1999, aboard the space shuttle Columbia, Chandra was the heaviest payload ever carried by the shuttle at that time. With Commander Eileen Collins at the helm, the Columbia crew successfully deployed Chandra into a highly elliptical orbit, extending nearly one-third of the distance to the Moon.
“For a quarter century, Chandra has made discovery after amazing discovery,” said Pat Slane, director of the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“Astronomers have used Chandra to investigate mysteries that we didn’t even know about when we were building the telescope — including exoplanets and dark energy.”
X-rays, a highly penetrating form of light, reveal extremely hot objects and energetic physical processes in space. Chandra has been instrumental in studying various celestial phenomena, such as the debris from exploded stars and material swirling around black holes. Stars, galaxies, and even planets emit X-rays that can be studied using Chandra.
“Chandra has been a great success story for humanity and its pursuit of knowledge,” said Andrew Schnell, acting project manager of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
“Chandra’s incredible accomplishments are made possible by the team’s hard work and dedication.”
The newly released images are a sample from nearly 25,000 observations Chandra has conducted during its 25 years in space. The mission that eventually became Chandra was first proposed to NASA by Riccardo Giacconi and Harvey Tananbaum in 1976.
Chandra was later selected as one of NASA’s “Great Observatories,” alongside the Hubble Space Telescope and the now-retired Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope, each observing different types of light.
In 2002, Riccardo Giacconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering contributions to astrophysics, which led to the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources and laid the groundwork for Chandra’s development and launch.
Today, astronomers continue to use Chandra data alongside other powerful telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).
Recent collaborations between Chandra and Webb have led to the discovery of evidence for two of the most distant black holes ever observed. Additionally, work with IXPE has uncovered the “bones” of a ghostly cosmic hand, created by a pulsar.
Chandra’s scientific contributions have led to over 700 PhDs and have supported a diverse talent pool of more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,700 postdocs, and over 5,000 unique principal investigators worldwide. The telescope remains in high demand, with only about 20% of requested observing time approved.
Scientists have published over 10,000 peer-reviewed papers based on Chandra data, amassing almost half a million citations, making it one of NASA’s most productive astrophysics missions.
“On behalf of the STS-93 crew, we are tremendously proud of the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its brilliant team that built and launched this astronomical treasure,” said Eileen Collins, commander of the Columbia mission that launched Chandra.
“Chandra’s discoveries have continually astounded and impressed us over the past 25 years.”
The Chandra program is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center overseeing science from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, was the spacecraft’s prime contractor.
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