14 DAY TRIAL // An international group of astronomers, using multiple telescopes, was recently able to collect an impressive view of the Ring of Fire at the core of the spiral galaxy NGC 4151. The formation looks mesmerizing, and represents one of the clearest views of this region ever collected.
This is obviously a composite image, where each color represents a distinct set of wavelengths. The component added by the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory is shown in blue, whereas the 1-meter Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope at the La Palma Observatory shows visible-light data in yellow.
The Very Large Array (VLA) – which is operated by the US National Science Foundation – contributed chemical readings showing neutral hydrogen (red). It is immediately apparent that the gas is being distorted by tidal interactions with the other regions of the galaxy.
Another amazing aspect about this image is that it is so clear even if NGC 4151 is located more than 43 million light-years away from Earth.