M83: X-rays Reveal Nature of Spiral Galaxy’s Boisterous Activity

Chandra’s image of M83 shows numerous point-like neutron star and black hole X-ray sources scattered throughout the disk of this spiral galaxy. The bright nuclear region of the galaxy glows prominently due to a burst of star formation that is estimated to have begun about 20 million years ago in the galaxy’s time frame. The observation revealed that the nuclear region contains a much higher concentration of neutron stars and black holes than the rest of the galaxy.