Galactic Goulash

More about Galactic Goulash

One definition for goulash, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a mixture of heterogeneous elements, or jumble. This 2017 image of galaxy Arp 299 is just that.

Arp 299 is a system located about 140 million light-years from Earth, containing two galaxies that are merging, which has created a partially blended mix of stars from each galaxy.

Data from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory reveals 25 bright X-ray sources sprinkled throughout the Arp 299 concoction. Fourteen of these sources are such strong emitters of X-rays that astronomers categorize them as "ultra-luminous X-ray sources," or ULXs.

This composite image of Arp 299 contains X-ray data from Chandra (pink), higher-energy X-ray data from NuSTAR (purple), and optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope (white and faint brown). Arp 299 also emits copious amounts of infrared light that have been detected by observatories such as the Spitzer Space Telescope.