NGC 6946: The 'Fireworks Galaxy'
NGC 6946 is a medium-sized, face-on spiral galaxy about 22 million light
years away from Earth. In the past century, eight supernovas have been observed
to explode in the arms of this galaxy. Chandra observations (purple) have, in
fact, revealed three of the oldest supernovas ever detected in X-rays, giving
more credence to its nickname of the "Fireworks Galaxy." This composite image
also includes optical data from the Gemini Observatory in red, yellow, and
cyan.
Image credit:
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
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