NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

For release: 05-18-04
Photo release #: 04-144

Chandra opens new line of investigation on dark energy

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Chandra X-ray Image of Abell 2029

This Chandra X-ray Observatory image is a galaxy cluster from the latest study of dark energy, from a total of 26 clusters in the sample. Abell 2029's distance corresponds to a light travel time of 1 billion years. The red diffuse emission shows hot intergalactic gas, heated to about 100 million degrees by the enormous gravity in the cluster, and visible only in X-rays. The distances to the clusters in the sample can be derived from the Chandra observations by calculating the relative amounts of hot gas and dark matter. These distances show that the expansion of the Universe began accelerating about six billion years ago. Scale: Image is 8 x 5 arcmin (NASA/CXC/IoA/S.Allen et al.)

 

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NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory/Optical Composite of Abell 2029

This optical (blue) and NASA's Chandra X-ray (red-orange) composite image shows Abell 2029, a cluster of galaxies. A large elliptical galaxy is visible in the center of the image, surrounded by smaller galaxies. The red diffuse emission shows hot intergalactic gas, heated to about 100 million degrees by the enormous gravity in the cluster, and visible only in X-rays. This galaxy cluster has a redshift of 0.078, at a distance corresponding to a light travel time of one billion years. Scale: Image is 8 x 5 arcmin (Optical: NOAO/Kitt Peak/J.Uson, D.Dale; X-ray: NASA/CXC/IoA/S.Allen et al.)

 

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Optical Image of Abell 2029

This optical image from the Kitt Peak 0.9m telescope shows Abell 2029, a cluster of galaxies. A arge elliptical galaxy is visible in the center of the image, surrounded by smaller galaxies. This galaxy cluster has a redshift of 0.078, at a distance corresponding to a light travel time of one billion years. Scale: Image is 8 x 5 arcmin (NOAO/Kitt Peak/J.Uson, D.Dale, S.Boughn, J.Kuhn)

 

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NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory Image of MACSJ1423.8+2404

The Chandra X-ray image of the galaxy cluster MACSJ1423 shows hot gas displayed in red. The mass of the hot gas is about 6 times greater than the mass of all the billions of stars in all of the galaxies in the cluster. This galaxy cluster has a redshift of 0.54, at a distance corresponding to a light travel time of 5.4 billion years. Scale: Image is 8 x 5 arcmin (NASA/CXC/IoA/S.Allen et al.)

 

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NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory Image MS2137.3-2353

This Chandra image is a galaxy cluster from the latest study of dark energy (from a total of 26 clusters in the sample). MS2137's distance corresponds to a light travel time of 3.6 billion years. The red diffuse emission shows hot intergalactic gas, heated to about 100 million degrees by the enormous gravity in the cluster, and visible only in X-rays. The distances to the clusters in the sample can be derived from the Chandra observations by calculating the relative amounts of hot gas and dark matter. These distances show that the expansion of the Universe began accelerating about six billion years ago. Scale: Image is 8 x 5 arcmin ( NASA/CXC/IoA/S.Allen et al.)

 

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Optical Image of MACSJ1423.8+2404

This image of the galaxy cluster MACSJ1423 is a 3-color optical image from the Subaru prime focus camera. It shows white and blue galaxies centered around a large elliptical galaxy. The mass of the hot gas is about 6 times greater than the mass of all the billions of stars in all of the galaxies in the cluster. This galaxy cluster has a redshift of 0.54, at a distance corresponding to a light travel time of 5.4 billion years. Scale: Image is 2.56 x 1.6 arcmin (NAOJ/Subaru/H.Ebeling)

 

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NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory/Optical Composite of MACSJ1423.8+2404

This composite image shows views of the galaxy cluster MACSJ1423, using optical and X-ray telescopes. The optical image, a 3-color composite from the Subaru prime focus camera, shows white and blue galaxies centered around a large elliptical galaxy. The Chandra X-ray image shows hot gas displayed in red. The mass of the hot gas is about 6 times greater than the mass of all the billions of stars in all of the galaxies in the cluster. This galaxy cluster have a redshift of 0.54, at a distance corresponding to a light travel time of 5.4 billion years. Scale: Image is 2.56 x 1.6 arcmin ( Optical: NAOJ/Subaru/H. Ebeling; X-Ray: NASA/CXC/IoA/S.Allen et al.)

 

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Energy Distribution of the Universe

The new Chandra observations include estimates of the total energy content of the Universe. As shown in this illustration, dark energy is estimated to contribute about 75% of the energy in the Universe, dark matter about 21% and normal matter about 4%. Only the normal matter can be directly detected with telescopes, and about 85% of this is hot, intergalactic gas, as detected in Chandra observations of galaxy clusters. (Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)

Contact Don Savage NASA Headquarters (202) 358-1547 Steve Roy Public Affairs Office (256) 544-0034 Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Obs. Center (617) 496-7998

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