PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — We no longer have to tilt our heads back and look to the skies when trying to understand the universe thanks to advancements in astronomy and teams of scientists who keep the show running.
Just last week, a satellite revealed some never-before-seen images of the universe.
Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer with The Franklin Institute, says the 25 pictures, taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, range from locations in the nebula where new stars are being born to the center of our galaxy where there’s “a super massive black hole in operation.”
Pitts says the images are “just beautiful to look at.”
The release coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Chandra which, despite its success is undergoing budget cuts and could eventually orbit Earth in shutdown mode.
“That’s really describing the loss of this instrument which has been so incredibly productive over its last 25 years,” Pitts said.