00:02Visit Chandra's Beautiful Universe
00:06M31
00:10The Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, is the closest spiral galaxy to the
00:18Milky Way at a distance of about 2.5 million light years. Astronomers use Andromeda to
00:25understand the structure and evolution of our own spiral, which is much harder to do
00:30since Earth is embedded inside the Milky Way.
00:34M31 has played an important role in many aspects of astrophysics, but particularly in the discovery
00:40of dark matter. In the 1960s, Vera Rubin and her colleagues studied M31 and determined
00:48that there was some unseen matter in the galaxy that was affecting how the galaxy and its
00:53spiral arms rotated.
00:56This unknown material was named dark matter, and its nature remains one of the biggest
01:01open questions in astrophysics today.
01:06Each type of light reveals new information about this close galactic relative to the Milky
01:10Way. For example, Chandra's X-rays reveal the high-energy radiation around the supermassive
01:17black hole at the center of M31, as well as many other small, compact, and dense objects strewn
01:23across the galaxy. These multi-wavelength datasets are also being released as a sonification, which
01:30includes the same wavelengths of data in the new composite. In a sonification, the layer
01:35from each telescope has been separated out and rotated so that they stack on top of each
01:40other horizontally, beginning with X-rays at the top, and then moving through ultraviolet,
01:46optical, infrared, and radio at the bottom.
01:51As the scan moves from left to right in the sonification, each type of light is mapped to
01:56a different range of notes, ranging from lower-energy radio waves up through the high energy of X-rays.
02:03Meanwhile, the brightness of each source controls volume, and the vertical location dictates the pitch.
02:15This new image of M31 is released in tribute to the groundbreaking legacy of Dr. Vera Rubin,
02:21whose observations transformed our understanding of the universe.
02:27Reuben's meticulous measurements of Andromeda's rotation curve provided some of the earliest and
02:32most convincing evidence that galaxies are embedded in massive halos of invisible material,
02:38what we now call dark matter. Her work challenged long-held assumptions and catalyzed a new era of
02:44research into the composition and dynamics of the cosmos. In recognition of her profound scientific
02:52contributions, the United States Mint has recently released a quarter in 2025, featuring Rubin as part
02:59of its American Women Quarters program, making her the first astronomer honored in the series.
03:24to the
03:25project in the event, she came to a room for an collection of curiosities andントeners, and the
03:25first-person art on Earth. The first time was introduced to Mr. Vera Rubin. I wanted to
03:25take the time to visit. I had some adventures from the universe in the world. I made some of the
03:26other aspects I wanted to take the time to see. I have to look for the music for the first
03:26-person art
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