Chandra X-ray Observatory Reveals New View of Milky Way's Core

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured a composite image of the galactic center, where the supernova remnant Sgr A East, which exploded about 10,000 years ago, interacts with the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. Astronomers led by Mayura Balakrishnan at McGill University separated the X-ray sources and mapped iron, sulfur, argon and calcium.

• Supernova remnant Sgr A East exploded roughly 10,000 years ago
• Image combines data from Chandra, the VLA and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
• Researchers mapped iron, sulfur, argon and calcium in the remnant
• Chandra launched in 1999 and may operate into the 2030s