Chandra Digest: Mergers and Star Formation
New Chandra Results: The 2002 joint meeting of the American Physical
Society & the High Energy Astrophysics Division (AAS) met in
Albuquerque, New Mexico from April 20-23. New X-ray results from two
colliding galaxies and a bustling star-forming region were released:
**Arp 220**
When Worlds Collide: Chandra Observes Titanic Merger
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided the best X-ray image yet
of two Milky Way-like galaxies in the midst of a head-on collision.
Since all galaxies – including our own – may have undergone mergers,
this provides insight into how the Universe came to look as it does today.
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/1181/index.html
**The Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus)**
A Drama of Star Formation and Evolution
The Tarantula, also known as 30 Doradus, is in one of the most active
star-forming regions in our Local Group of galaxies. Massive stars are
producing intense radiation and searing winds of multimillion-degree gas
that carve out gigantic super-bubbles in the surrounding gas.
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/0057/index.html
** Operations CXO Status Report (Friday 04/19/02)
Last week the observing schedule was interrupted due to high radiation
associated with solar flare activity. The loads were halted on April 17
at 8:55am EDT through a ground command to execute the SI Safing SCS 107.
