Andromeda galaxy scanned with high-energy X-ray vision

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has captured the best high-energy X-ray view yet of a portion of our nearest large, neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. The space mission has observed 40 "X-ray binaries"—intense sources of X-rays comprised of a black hole or neutron star that feeds off a stellar companion.