Contours of ROSAT HRI emission superposed onto a H_alpha image (the colour table running several times from bright to dark to show the full dynamic range of the data). The H_alpha emission traces the ionized gas and shows nicely both the nuclear superbubble and, protruding from this central region into the disk, spurs of ionized gas to the south-east and north-west. Their is a correlation of the HRI contours with the H_alpha emission. This suggests that part of the hot interstellar medium flows out of the superbubble. X-ray spectra of the hot interstellar medium interior the superbubble suggest temperatures of ~10^Z7 K.

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