|
|
Animations & Video
Black Holes, Active Galaxies & Quasars
| 1 |
|
Black Hole Animation
QuickTime
MPEG
This animation illustrates the activity surrounding a black hole. While the matter that has passed the black hole's "event horizon" can't be seen, material swirling outside this threshold is accelerated to millions of degrees and radiates in X-rays. At the end of the animation, the black hole is shown shrouded in a cloud of gas and dust, obscuring it from most angles at wavelengths other than the X-rays picked up by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
[Runtime: 0:27]
(Animation: CXC/A.Hobart)
Still Photo
|
| 2 |
 |
Black Hole Flare Animation
QuickTime
MPEG
This sequence begins with a 600,000-second exposure of Sgr A* made with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Next, it zooms into the precise location of the central supermassive hole, and then
dissolves into an artist's rendition of the system. This illustrates how high-energy particles and X-ray flares are produced when matter falls onto the accretion disk around a supermassive black
hole.
[Runtime: 0:22]
(Animation: NASA/SAO/CXC/D.Berry )
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: Sagittarius A* (06 Jan 03)
|
| 3 |
 |
Sequence of Chandra Images of Galactic Center & Sgr A*
QuickTime
MPEG
This sequence begins with a 400 by 900 light-year mosaic of several Chandra images of the central region of our Galaxy that reveals hundreds of white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes bathed in an incandescent fog of multimillion-degree gas. The mosaic then zooms into a large region around the supermassive black hole at our Galaxy's center, a.k.a. Sagittarius A* or Sgr A*. Marked in this field around Sgr A* are two newly discovered large lobes of multimillion-degree gas that extend for dozens of light years on either side of the black hole. The final Chandra image in this sequence is a close-up of the location of the supermassive black hole Sgr A* and an X-ray jet. This suspected jet is 1.5 light years in length and is due to high-energy particles ejected from the vicinity of the black hole.
[Runtime: 0:22]
Credit: Galactic Center (Survey): NASA/UMass/D.Wang et al., Sgr A* (3-color & close-up): NASA/CXC/MIT/F.K.Baganoff et al.
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: Sagittarius A*
|
| 4 |
 |
Animation of Black Hole with Accretion Disk and Torus
QuickTime
MPEG
This artist's conception shows a black hole system in each of its
constituent parts as viewed from the top. First, the image
shows the black hole itself, then a disk of hot gas surrounding the black
hole, and, finally a large doughnut (or torus) of cooler gas and dust
enshrouding the system. Next, this artist's conception shows the black hole as viewed edge-on, surrounded by the disk of hot gas, and the large torus of cooler
gas and dust. This animation shows why X-rays are crucial in
understanding the nature of these black hole systems. Unlike optical
emission, X-rays can penetrate the torus of gas and dust that enshrouds
the black hole, and therefore reveals information about the central
object which is otherwise hidden.
[Runtime: 0:16]
(Animation: CXC/M.Weiss & A.Hobart )
|
| 5 |
 |
Black Hole Merger Animation
QuickTime
MPEG
The movie shows a merger of two galaxies (simulation) that forms a single galaxy with two centrally located supermassive black holes surrounded by disks of hot gas. The black holes orbit each other
for hundreds of millions of years before they merge to form a single supermassive black hole that sends out intense gravitational waves.
[Runtime: 0:43]
Animation: NASA/CXC/A.Hobart
Simulation: Josh Barnes (U of Hawaii)/John Hibbard (NRAO)
Still Photos
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: NGC 6240
|
| 6 |
 |
Sequence of Hubble and Chandra Images of NGC 6240
QuickTime
MPEG
This sequence begins with a wide-field optical image of the galaxy NGC 6240 and then zooms into the central region where it dissolves to a Chandra X-ray image. The colors in the X-ray image show the
intensity of the low (red), medium (green) and high (blue) energy X-rays. This image then dissolves to show only the highest-energy X-rays detected by Chandra, which come from gas around the two
black holes in the center of the galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:15]
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/S.Komossa et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI/R.P.van der Marel & J.Gerssen
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: NGC 6240
|
| 7 |
 |
Galaxy Merger Simulation and Chandra Data
QuickTime
MPEG
This sequence begins with a data simulation of two galaxies that are about to merge. The simulation then stops and fades into the highest-energy (5-8 keV) X-ray data of NGC 6240. These two distinct
point sources in the Chandra data are proof to scientists that two black holes at the center of this galaxy.
[Runtime: 0:15]
Simulation: Josh Barnes (U of Hawaii)/John Hibbard (NRAO); X-ray: NASA/CXC/MPE/S.Komossa et al.
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: NGC 6240
|
| 8 |
 |
Animation of an X-ray binary system
QuickTime
MPEG & AVI
This animation begins with a view outside of Milky Way and then zooms in on one of the spiral arms to the double-star system XTE J1550-564, which contains a black hole and a normal Sun-like star. As
gaseous material is pulled off the companion star onto the black hole, it forms a disk that is heated to millions of degrees. The animation then shows the ejection and evolution of the jets of
high-energy particles.
[Runtime: 1:06]
Animation: CXC/A.Hobart
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: XTE J1550-564
|
| 9 |
|
Animation of How Supermassive Black Holes Affect the Formation of Massive Galaxies
QuickTime
MPEG
This animation begins by looking at the exterior of an elliptical galaxy. It then zooms into the region near the galaxy's massive central black hole. The sequence then shows how powerful jets of high-energy particles emanate from the vicinity of the black hole. These jets heat gas around the galaxy and stop the infall of matter into the galaxy, thereby limiting the galaxy's growth. This is what astronomers believe is happening in the cases of 4C41.17 and 3C294.
[Runtime: 0:22]
(Animation: CXC/A. Hobart)
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: 4C41.17 and 3C294
Still Photos
|
| 10 |
 |
Time-lapse Movie of Chandra Images (labeled)
QuickTime
MPEG & AVI
This time-lapse movie made from observations over a four-year period shows the black hole XTE J1550-564 (center), the approaching eastern jet, and the receding western jet (right). In four years the
jets moved about two light years from the black hole.
[Runtime: 0:53]
Credits: NASA/CXC
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: XTE J1550-564
|
| 11 |
 |
Time-lapse Movie of Chandra Images (unlabeled)
QuickTime
MPEG & AVI
This time-lapse movie made from observations over a four-year period shows the black hole XTE J1550-564 (center), the approaching eastern jet, and the receding western jet (right). In four years the
jets moved about two light years from the black hole.
[Runtime: 0:15]
Credits: NASA/CXC
Related Chandra Images:
Photo Album: XTE J1550-564
|
Note: High Res movies are very high quality and therefore large. They are best for 56 Kbps connections or faster. Low Res movies are not as high quality, are smaller and are better for slower connections, 33.6 Kbps or slower.
Problems Viewing?
Having trouble viewing a movie? Make sure you update your video plug-ins. Visit our download center for help.
|
