Chandra :: From the Earth to the Heavens

From the Earth to the Heavens banner image

There are patterns of beauty across Earth and throughout the Universe.

From the Earth to the Heavens invites you to compare aerial photographs of our planet taken by Yann Arthus-Bertrand (left) to X-ray images of the cosmos taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (right). We hope these pairings provide an intriguing new way to view the striking visual patterns made by these very different objects.

Flamingoes on Lake Nakuru

Continent: Africa
Location: S 0° 17' - E 36° 04' (Longitude/Latitude)

The extremely briny waters of Lake Nakuru in Kenya are favorable for the algae, microorganisms and small crustaceans that are the basic diets of the flamingoes. Over a million flamingoes are known to live in this location, among nearly 400 other species of bird.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

The Bullet Cluster (1E 0657-56)More about the image

Constellation: Carina
Location: RA 06h 58m 19.85s | Dec -55º 56' 29.40"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

This is a view of the aftermath of two galaxy clusters that collided, one of the most energetic events since the Big Bang. Hot gas (pink) that envelopes the individual galaxies is detected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/M.Markevitch et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI; Magellan/U.Arizona/D.Clowe et al.

Forest of Saint-Hyacinthe

Continent: North America
Location: N 45° 37' - W 75° 57' (Longitude/Latitude)

One third of the region of Monteregie — bordered to the north by the St. Lawrence River and to the south by the United States — is covered by mixed forest. Pines, spruces, cherry and birch trees are among many species seen here.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

G292.0+1.8 More about the image

Constellation: Centaurus
Location: RA 11h 24m 36.00s | Dec -59º 16' 00.00"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

G292.0+1.8 is a supernova remnant that contains large amounts of oxygen, along with neon, silicon and other elements. These elements were forged in the center of a massive star and strewn into space when the star exploded about 1,600 years ago.

NASA/CXC/Penn State/Sangwook et al.

Beginning of the Namib Desert

Continent: Africa
Location: S 22° 35' - E 17° 02' (Longitude/Latitude)

The Namib Desert, formed 100 million years ago, is believed to be the world's oldest. It consists largely of stony plains but also includes over 13,000 square miles of sand dunes, which are the highest on Earth.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

Puppis A More about the image

Constellation: Carina
Location: RA 08h 23m 08.16s | Dec -42º 41' 41.40"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

This Chandra image shows a region of the supernova remnant Puppis A. A cloud is being torn apart by a shock wave that was generated when a massive star collapsed at the end of its lifetime.

NASA/CXC/GSFC/U.Hwang et al.

Flock of Scarlet Ibis

Continent: South America
Location: W 62° 21' - N 9° 57' (Longitude/Latitude)

More than a third of this area of Venezuela is made up of humid zones, the habitat of choice for the scarlet ibis. This bird is currently endangered, with fewer than 200,000 surviving in various parts of Central and South America.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

The Rosette Nebula More about the image

Constellation: Monoceros
Location: RA 06h 31m 52.00s | Dec +04º 55' 57.00"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

The Rosette Nebula is a region of active star formation about 5,000 light years from Earth. Massive young stars produce strong winds that slam into cooler gas, causing a glow in X-ray light (red).

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/L.Townsley et al. Optical: NOAO/AURA/NSF/KPNO/T.A.Rector et al.

Tree of Life

Continent: Africa
Location: E 38° 25' - S 2° 11' (Longitude/Latitude)

This acacia stands alone in vast expanses of thorny savanna, where wild animals come to take advantage of its leaves and shade. This park in the southeastern corner of Kenya is the country's largest protected area.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

The Perseus Cluster More about the image

Constellation: Perseus
Location: RA 03h 19m 47.60s | Dec +41° 30' 37.00"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

The cluster contains thousands of galaxies immersed in a vast cloud of multimillion degree gas with the mass equivalent of trillions of suns. A supermassive black hole sits in the giant central galaxy.

NASA/CXC/IoA/A.Fabian et al.

The Great Barrier Reef

Continent: Australia
Location: E 146° 03' - S 16° 55' (Longitude/Latitude)

At a length of over 1,500 miles, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral formation in the world. Located along the northeastern coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 400 types of coral.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

Cassiopeia A More about the image

Constellation: Cassiopeia
Location: RA 23h 23m 26.70s | Dec +58º 49' 03.00"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

This supernova remnant is 10 light years across and 10,000 light years from Earth. The object at the center is the dense core of what remains of the star after it exploded. Its presence was discovered by Chandra.

NASA/CXC/MIT/UMass Amherst/M.D.Stage et al.

Discharge from the Gold Mine on the Shore of Mindanao

Continent: Asia
Location: E 126° 03' - N 6° 52' (Longitude/Latitude)

On the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, gold deposits are being mined. Refuse and sediments are discharged into the rivers and ocean, as seen here, causing damage to marine flora and fauna.

Copyright Arthus-Bertrand "Earth from Above". Used with permission.

RCW 103 More about the image

Constellation: Norma
Location: RA 16h 17m 36.30s | Dec -51° 02' 24.40"
(Right Ascension/Declination)

When stars are more massive than about 8 times the Sun, they end their lives in a spectacular explosion. This X-ray image shows the 2,000 year-old-remains of such an event, known as RCW 103, which occurred about 10,000 light years from Earth.

NASA/CXC/Penn State/G.Garmire et al.

Curated by Kimberly Arcand/CXC