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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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NGC 3627 (M66)
Title
NGC 3627 (M66)
Title
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Description:
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This image of spiral galaxy NGC 3627, also known as Messier 66, was captured by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) Legacy Project using the telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).
NGC 3627 is estimated to be 30 million light-years distant and seen towards the constellation Leo. Astronomers suspect that the galaxy's distorted shape is due to its ongoing gravitational interactions with its neighbors Messier 65 and NGC 3628. NGC 3627 is another brilliant example of a barred spiral galaxy, the most common type of disk galaxy in the local Universe. Its blue core and bar-like structure illustrates a concentration of older stars. While the bar seems devoid of star formation, the bar ends are bright red and actively forming stars. A barred spiral offers an exquisite laboratory for star formation because it contains many different environments with varying levels of star-formation activity, e.g., nucleus, rings, bar, the bar ends and spiral arms.
The SINGS image is a four-channel false-color composite, where blue indicates emission at 3.6 microns, green corresponds to 4.5 microns, and red to 5.8 and 8.0 microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) in this picture has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8 micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features.
Description
This image of spiral galaxy NGC 3627, also known as Messier 66, was captured by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) Legacy Project using the telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).
NGC 3627 is estimated to be 30 million light-years distant and seen towards the constellation Leo. Astronomers suspect that the galaxy's distorted shape is due to its ongoing gravitational interactions with its neighbors Messier 65 and NGC 3628. NGC 3627 is another brilliant example of a barred spiral galaxy, the most common type of disk galaxy in the local Universe. Its blue core and bar-like structure illustrates a concentration of older stars. While the bar seems devoid of star formation, the bar ends are bright red and actively forming stars. A barred spiral offers an exquisite laboratory for star formation because it contains many different environments with varying levels of star-formation activity, e.g., nucleus, rings, bar, the bar ends and spiral arms.
The SINGS image is a four-channel false-color composite, where blue indicates emission at 3.6 microns, green corresponds to 4.5 microns, and red to 5.8 and 8.0 microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) in this picture has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8 micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/09/15
Release_Date
2005/09/15
Release Date
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team
Image Credit
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Object name:
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NGC 3627
Object_name
NGC 3627
Object name
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Object name:
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M66
Object_name
M66
Object name
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Object name:
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Messier 66
Object_name
Messier 66
Object name
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Object type:
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Spiral galaxy
Object_type
Spiral galaxy
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *11h20m15.00s *Dec: *12d59m30.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *11h20m15.00s *Dec: *12d59m30.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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30 million light-years
Distance
30 million light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Leo
Constellation
Leo
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8-8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8-8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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10.2x10.2 arcmin
Image_scale
10.2x10.2 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Robert Kennicutt, Principal Investigator (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Lee Armus (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Brent Buckalew (Caltech)
George Bendo (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Daniela Calzetti (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Daniel Dale (University of Wyoming)
Bruce Draine (Princeton University)
Charles Engelbracht (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Karl Gordon (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
George Helou (Caltech)
David Hollenbach (NASA Ames Research Center)
Thomas Jarrett (Caltech)
Lisa Kewley (University of Hawaii)
Claus Leitherer (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Aigen Li (University of Missouri-Columbia)
Sangeeta Malhotra (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Helene McLaughlin (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Martin Meyer (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Eric Murphy (Yale University)
Michael Regan (Space Telescope Science Institute)
George Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Marcia Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Helene Roussel (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Kartik Sheth (Caltech)
John-David Smith (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Michele D. Thornley (Bucknell University, Space Telescope Science Institute)
Fabian Walter (MPIA Heidelberg)
Observers
Robert Kennicutt, Principal Investigator (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Lee Armus (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Brent Buckalew (Caltech)
George Bendo (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Daniela Calzetti (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Daniel Dale (University of Wyoming)
Bruce Draine (Princeton University)
Charles Engelbracht (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Karl Gordon (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
George Helou (Caltech)
David Hollenbach (NASA Ames Research Center)
Thomas Jarrett (Caltech)
Lisa Kewley (University of Hawaii)
Claus Leitherer (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Aigen Li (University of Missouri-Columbia)
Sangeeta Malhotra (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Helene McLaughlin (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Martin Meyer (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Eric Murphy (Yale University)
Michael Regan (Space Telescope Science Institute)
George Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Marcia Rieke (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Helene Roussel (Spitzer Science Center, Caltech)
Kartik Sheth (Caltech)
John-David Smith (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona)
Michele D. Thornley (Bucknell University, Space Telescope Science Institute)
Fabian Walter (MPIA Heidelberg)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Orientation:
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North is 63 deg CCW from up
Orientation
North is 63 deg CCW from up
Orientation
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facet_what:
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Leo
facet_what
Leo
facet_what
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facet_what:
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NGC
facet_what
NGC
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Columbia
facet_what
Columbia
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Hawaii
facet_where
Hawaii
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Missouri
facet_where
Missouri
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Wyoming
facet_where
Wyoming
facet_where
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facet_where:
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M66
facet_where
M66
facet_where
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facet_where:
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NGC 3628
facet_where
NGC 3628
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
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Image #:
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sig05-016
Image_#
sig05-016
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-sig05-016
UID
SPD-SPITZ-sig05-016
UID
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