Images by Date
Images by Category
Solar System
Stars
Exoplanets
White Dwarfs
Supernovas
Neutron Stars
Black Holes
Milky Way Galaxy
Normal Galaxies
Quasars
Galaxy Clusters
Cosmology/Deep Field
Miscellaneous
Images by Interest
Space Scoop for Kids
Multiwavelength
Sky Map
Constellations
Photo Blog
Top Rated Images
Image Handouts
Desktops
Fits Files
Visual descriptions
Image Tutorials
Photo Album Tutorial
False Color
Cosmic Distance
Look-Back Time
Scale & Distance
Angular Measurement
Images & Processing
AVM/Metadata
Image Use Policy
Web Shortcuts
Chandra Blog
RSS Feed
Image Use Policy
Questions & Answers
Glossary of Terms
ULX in M51 Animations

A Quick Look at an Ultraluminous X-ray Source (ULX) in M51
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 1:08]

Astronomers have used Chandra data to determine that an ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) contains a neutron star.

This ULX is located in M51, which is also known as the Whirlpool galaxy, located about 30 million light years from Earth.

ULXs are extremely bright sources of X-rays, first discovered by astronomers in the 1980s.

This new result helps provide clues as to how ULXs shine so brightly in X-rays.




Return to Supermassive Black Holes Are Outgrowing Their Galaxies (February 15, 2018)