Chandra Release - October 25, 2021

Visual Description: Chandra Sees Evidence for Possible Planet in Another Galaxy

Presented as part of this release is a composite image of the M51 Whirlpool galaxy, accompanied by an artist's illustration. 

The composite image includes data from both X-ray and Optical light. It features the entirety of the M51 galaxy, which indeed resembles a swirling whirlpool in a black sea, viewed from above. At the core of the cloudy blue whirlpool is a bright white light from which wispy spiraling arms appear to swirl. The swirling arms are the color of red wine and resemble long tendrils of smoke. Along the lengths of the spiraling arms are specks of light in white and neon purple. One of the spiraling arms curves up toward our upper left. There, it appears to dissipate in a pool of pale purple light.

Overlaid on one of the spiraling arms, to our right of the bright white core, is a box rendered in thin white lines. Inside this box is a speck of white light. Here, astronomers have detected the first evidence of a possible planet passing in front of a star outside of our Milky Way.

In this small spot in the M51 galaxy, Astronomers and researchers have detected a dimming of X-rays from a system where a large star is in orbit around a small, dense neutron star or black hole. The dimming is interpreted as being a planet passing in front of the bright, dense object. For this release, that interpretation has been illustrated by an artist.

On our right side of the artist's illustration, the gently curving edge of a massive star enters the frame, its surface rendered in cool mottled blue and white. To our left of this companion star is a horizontal swirl of yellows, reds, and oranges with a brilliant white light at the center. This is the bright gas surrounding the neutron star or black hole at the center of a disk of hot swirling material. Streaks of smeared mottled blue at our right indicate that the material is being pulled from the large star into the hot, swirling disk. Near the center of the illustration, a small dark circle partially eclipses the bright gas surrounding the neutron star or black hole. This is the silhouette of the newly detected planet candidate, partially dimming the light at the center of the superheated disk.