Chandra Observatory (@chandraxray) / X

Chandra Observatory

78.1K posts

Chandra Observatory

@chandraxray

Official Twitter account of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Operated for NASA by Smithsonian (SAO). Verification: nasa.gov/socialmedia Legal: s.si.edu/legal

In orbit

Joined January 2008

Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
11h
🌟Find out more about the discovery, including videos & images, at: chandra.si.edu/photo/2026/m83/
NASA
@NASA
11h
Sparkly, swirly, and surprising 🌌 @chandraxray data shows that this galaxy, Messier 83, is unusual. Over 20 of its supernova remnants – remains from star explosions – vary drastically in X-ray brightness. Typically, the remnants' brightness would fade slowly over time.
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Chandra Observatory reposted
NASA
@NASA
Jun 16
Super! 💫 Data from @chandraxray has uncovered possible remains of a supernova in the middle of our Milky Way galaxy. If confirmed, this supernova piece would be one of the closest to our galaxy’s central black hole that we have ever found. go.nasa.gov/4aT7pvb
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
Jun 15
When astronomers pointed NASA's Chandra at nearby galaxy M83, the last thing they expected to find was a population of supernova remnants appearing to dramatically change in brightness. More on the discovery: chandra.si.edu/photo/2026/m83/ #AAS248
00:00
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
Jun 15
Visual Description: A video showing a composite image of the nearby galaxy Messier 83 on the left, and short timelapse videos of two curious supernova remnants hidden inside on the right. In the composite image, Messier 83, or M83, is shown to have a spiral structure, viewed
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Chandra Observatory reposted
NASA Marshall
@NASA_Marshall
Jun 13
Astronomers may have found a new supernova remnant near the center of the Milky Way galaxy using data from @chandraxray. If confirmed, this would be one of the closest supernova remnants to the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center! 🔗go.nasa.gov/4vQqHcX
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
Jun 11
Astronomers may have found one of the closest supernova remnants to the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. It's expanding at about 3.2 million kilometers per hour (2 million mph) and is at least 1,700 years old. 💥More: s.si.edu/sgrc26
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
Jun 4
The supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, is blowing a hot cosmic wind — something scientists have been hunting for over 50 years. ⚫More on the discovery at: chandra.si.edu/photo/2026/sgr…
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
Jun 1
Some of our galaxy’s youngest, hottest, and most massive stars blaze to life in the nearby Carina Nebula. Winds from these powerful stars can carve out bubbles of hot gas, producing dramatic shapes in the surrounding clouds of colder gas and dust.✨
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Chandra Observatory reposted
NASA Marshall
@NASA_Marshall
May 29
The “most relaxed galaxy cluster in the universe” wasn't always so calm 🌀 New observations from @chandraxray show that Abell 2029 is still settling down after a collision with another smaller cluster about four billion years ago. More: go.nasa.gov/4egC1bd
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
May 15
Westerlund 2 is a young cluster of thousands of stars located about 20,000 light-years from Earth. This close-up image, roughly 12 light-years across, combines observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory & @NASAWebb.✨
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
May 14
At the heart of galaxy NGC 1365, a supermassive black hole is basically feasting at an all‑you‑can‑eat buffet in this image from Chandra and @NASAWebb. Located about 60 million light-years from Earth, this gobbling black hole has a mass of roughly 2 million suns... and growing.⚫
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Chandra Observatory
@chandraxray
May 12
Sometimes described as "the most relaxed galaxy cluster in the universe," Abell 2029 had a wild past according to new observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. More at: chandra.si.edu/photo/2026/a20… 🌀
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Chandra Observatory reposted
NASA
@NASA
May 8
A-meow-zing 😻 @NASAWebb and @chandraxray joined forces to deliver this view of the Cat's Paw Nebula. Different wavelengths combine to reveal young stars at the center of these dusty clouds.
$A colorful section of the Cat\u2019s Paw Nebula. Four circular areas are shown in the center of the image, each glowing blue. Rusty wisps of dust are interspersed amongst them. Luminous blotches of purple decorate the dust, as well as diffuse yellow and blue stars. Credit: X-ray: NASA/SAO/CXC; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major$
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Chandra Observatory reposted
Hubble
@NASAHubble
May 4
The force awakens in newborn stars. Hubble captured some cosmic "lightsabers" far, far away. These are actually young stellar jets, colliding at fast speeds with nearby gas and dust. Happy Star Wars Day from the Hubble team!
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