XMM-Newton X-ray image from the center of the Milky Way

The X-ray image taken with XMM-Newton shows in a detail of about 300 light years around the center of our milky way a plurality of objects and emission structures. The true color image render roughly the different energies of X-rays: red = soft, green = medium, and blue = hard. The image in the upper right was created by further energy selection and smoothing. Now the different energies can be assigned to single structures. The central bright source is the supernova remnant named "Sagittarius A West" (magnified in the lower left edge). At it brightest spot the real center is located, presumably a massive black hole weakly radiating in X-rays. To the upper left one recognizes a diffuse emission of hot (~ 7 Million K) gas. Inside this region the different temperatures are indicated by colors (red-yellow-green), which correspond to the specific X-radiation of sulphur, argon, and calcium. The X-radiation of iron (at 6.4 keV, turquoise) is superposed, which is presumably generated by the interaction of high-energy electrons with dense dust clouds. Red positions indicate objects in the foreground, blue such behind the galactic center. The hole region is wrapped up in thin, extreme hot gas (dark blue).

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© X-Ray Group at MPE (group)
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