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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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Spitzer Turns Two (NGC 4725)
Title
Spitzer Turns Two (NGC 4725)
Title
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Description:
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On August 25, 2003, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope blasted into the same dark skies it now better understands. In just two years, the observatory's infrared eyes have uncovered a hidden universe teeming with warm stellar embryos, chaotic planet-forming disks, and majestic galaxies, including the delightfully odd galaxy called NGC 4725 shown here.
This peculiar galaxy is thought to have only one spiral arm. Most spiral galaxies have two or more arms. Astronomers refer to NGC 4725 as a ringed barred spiral galaxy because a prominent ring of stars encircles a bar of stars at its center (the bar is seen here as a horizontal ridge with faint red features). Our own Milky Way galaxy sports multiple arms and a proportionally smaller bar and ring.
In this false-color Spitzer picture, the galaxy's arm is highlighted in red, while its center and outlying halo are blue. Red represents warm dust clouds illuminated by newborn stars, while blue indicates older, cooler stellar populations. The red spokes seen projecting outward from the arm are clumps of stellar matter that may have been pushed together by instable magnetic fields.
NGC 4725 is located 41 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.
This picture is composed of four images taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera at 3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (red), and 8.0 (red) microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) has been subtracted from the 5.8- and 8-micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features.
Description
On August 25, 2003, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope blasted into the same dark skies it now better understands. In just two years, the observatory's infrared eyes have uncovered a hidden universe teeming with warm stellar embryos, chaotic planet-forming disks, and majestic galaxies, including the delightfully odd galaxy called NGC 4725 shown here.
This peculiar galaxy is thought to have only one spiral arm. Most spiral galaxies have two or more arms. Astronomers refer to NGC 4725 as a ringed barred spiral galaxy because a prominent ring of stars encircles a bar of stars at its center (the bar is seen here as a horizontal ridge with faint red features). Our own Milky Way galaxy sports multiple arms and a proportionally smaller bar and ring.
In this false-color Spitzer picture, the galaxy's arm is highlighted in red, while its center and outlying halo are blue. Red represents warm dust clouds illuminated by newborn stars, while blue indicates older, cooler stellar populations. The red spokes seen projecting outward from the arm are clumps of stellar matter that may have been pushed together by instable magnetic fields.
NGC 4725 is located 41 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.
This picture is composed of four images taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera at 3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (red), and 8.0 (red) microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) 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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2005/08/25
Release_Date
2005/08/25
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 4725
Object_name
NGC 4725
Object name
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *12h50m26.60s *Dec: *25d30m3.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *12h50m26.60s *Dec: *25d30m3.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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12.6 million parsecs; 41 million light-years
Distance
12.6 million parsecs; 41 million light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Coma Berenices
Constellation
Coma Berenices
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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12.2x12.2 arcmin
Image_scale
12.2x12.2 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 55 deg CCW from up
Orientation
North is 55 deg CCW from up
Orientation
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Coma Berenices
facet_what
Coma Berenices
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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NGC 4725
facet_what
NGC 4725
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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Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
Milky Way Galaxy
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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facet_when:
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August 25, 2003
facet_when
August 25, 2003
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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sig05-011
Image_#
sig05-011
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-sig05-011
UID
SPD-SPITZ-sig05-011
UID
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