This composite image shows the central region of the spiral galaxy NGC 4151, dubbed “Eye of Sauron” by astronomers for its similarity to the eye of the malevolent character in “The Lord of the Rings.” It is 43 million light years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici and is 37,540 light years across. X-rays from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) appear in blue, optical data from the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope appear in yellow, and radio data from the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array appear as red. Click here for more details.
