Overview
- NASA released the patriotic composite images and three companion sonifications on July 4, 2026 to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary.
- The package features four targets — the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, the star-forming nebula NGC 3603, the spiral galaxy Messier 94, and the distant cluster ZwCl 0024+1652 — shown in a red, white and blue color scheme.
- Images combine data from multiple observatories, including Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope, and ground-based telescopes to create layered scientific views.
- Chandra’s sonifications map image elements to sound (for example compact X-ray sources to piano notes, optical layers to guitar-like tones, and diffuse X-rays to a background hum) and a public tool lets users make their own audio translations.
- The release, led by the Chandra X-ray Center with collaborators Kimberly Arcand, Matt Russo, Andrew Santaguida and Christine Malec, is part of NASA’s Universe of Learning outreach work that aims to boost accessibility and link science with art.