Chandra Deep Field South facts for kids
The Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) is a very special picture of space. It was taken by a powerful space telescope called the Chandra X-ray Observatory. This telescope orbits Earth and helps scientists study the universe using X-rays, which are a type of light we can't see with our eyes.
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What is the Chandra Deep Field South?
The Chandra Deep Field South is an image of a specific area in space. It's like a very long exposure photograph, but instead of visible light, it captures X-rays. This picture helps scientists learn about very distant and powerful objects in the universe.
Why is this area of space special?
The spot in the sky where the CDF-S picture was taken is unique. It's like a clear window through the clouds of gas in our own Milky Way galaxy. These gas clouds, made mostly of neutral hydrogen, can block X-rays from far-off objects. Because this area has less gas, the Chandra telescope can see much more clearly into the distant universe. This is similar to another clear area in space called the Lockman Hole.
Where is the Chandra Deep Field South located?
This special area of the sky is found in the Southern Hemisphere. It's located within the Fornax constellation. Scientists chose this region because it has very little gas and dust from our own galaxy. This means there's less stuff blocking the view of distant X-ray sources.
How was the Chandra Deep Field South created?
The Chandra Deep Field South image was created by combining many observations. The Chandra X-ray Observatory took pictures of this area over a long period, from 2000 to 2010.
The longest observation by Chandra
The Chandra Deep Field South is the single target that the Chandra X-ray Observatory has observed for the longest time. This long observation period allowed scientists to collect a lot of X-ray data. By gathering so much information, they could create a very detailed and deep image of this part of the universe. This helps them find faint and very distant objects that would otherwise be hidden.
