National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the weekend celebrated the United States’ 250th anniversary with four striking images of deep space, all presented in patriotic shades of red, white, and blue from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Released on July 4, 2026, the collection showcases some of the universe’s most remarkable objects, from the remains of an exploded star to a distant galaxy cluster offering evidence of dark matter. The agency also unveiled three new “sonifications” that transform astronomical data into sound.
As captured by NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory, the first image features Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant in the Milky Way. It combines Chandra X-ray data, shown in blue and purple, with infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in red and white. The X-rays reveal the blast wave and elements like iron, calcium, and oxygen scattered in the debris.
The second image highlights NGC 3603, a stellar nursery and massive cluster of young stars. Chandra’s X-ray data appears in red and white, while Hubble Space Telescope observations in optical, infrared, and ultraviolet show stars, dust, and gas across the nebula. The third image is of spiral galaxy Messier 94, or NGC 4736.
It merges Chandra X-ray observations at multiple energies with ground-based visible light images. At its center is a bright “starburst ring” where new stars are actively forming. The final image shows ZwCl 0024+1652, a distant galaxy cluster. Hubble data in blue reveals evidence of dark matter, while Chandra captures the glowing red cloud of superheated gas filling the cluster.
That gas contains far more mass than all the cluster’s galaxies combined. “Together, the four images celebrate America’s 250th birthday while highlighting the extraordinary objects and phenomena NASA continues to explore,” the agency stated.
