This is an X-Ray View of What's Happening at the Center of Our Galaxy

There’s a lot going on in this brand new X-ray view of our galaxy’s center—but just what does all that sound, fury, and color mean?

Basically it means action, much of it spurred by the black hole knocking things around and kicking up clouds of stardust at the very heart of our galaxy. The ESA used their XMM-Newton X-ray observatory to record this shot, in which they’ve identified exploding supernovae, stellar winds pushing around clouds, and a bubble of hot gas hovering over the black hole. They’re also seeing plenty of newly-formed stars (those red patches you see around the edges) bursting into focus.

Image: ESA