First medium sized black hole discovered in Messier 82

(An image of the Messier 82 galaxy showing the medium sized black hole M82 X-1 in the inset – Photo Credit: NASA/H. Feng et al)

For the first time, scientists have measured the mass of a medium sized black hole, confirming their highly debated existence.

Chandra Observatory searches for the cause of nearby supernova

(Supernova SN 2014J – Photo Credit: NASA/SAO/CXC/R. Margutti et al)

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is helping determine what caused SN 2014J, one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades.

X-ray data, captured before and after the stellar explosion, has revealed information about the environment around the supernova, enabling scientists to learn more about the possible cause of the explosion.