Chandra Release - April 24, 2006

Visual Description: NGC 4696

The composite image of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4696 features a vibrant, multi-colored spiral shape with a large, bright object in the center. The central object is an elliptical galaxy. The color palette of the image is dominated by shades of red, purple-blue, with occasional flashes of green. By studying such elliptical galaxies with Chandra, scientists can now estimate the rate at which gas is falling toward the galaxies' supermassive black holes. 
The composite image of NGC 4696 shows a vast cloud of hot gas (red) detected by Chandra in X-rays, surrounding high-energy bubbles 10,000 light years across (purple-blue) in radio waves on either side of the bright white area around the supermassive black hole. Images of the other galaxies in the study show a similar structure. Green dots in the image show infrared radiation from star clusters on the outer edges of the galaxy.