|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
Dwarf Galaxies Swimming in Tidal Tails
Title
Dwarf Galaxies Swimming in Tidal Tails
Title
|
|
Description:
|
|
This false-color infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows little "dwarf galaxies" forming in the "tails" of two larger galaxies that are colliding together. The big galaxies are at the center of the picture, while the dwarfs can be seen as red dots in the red streamers, or tidal tails. The two blue dots above the big galaxies are stars in the foreground.
Galaxy mergers are common occurrences in the universe; for example, our own Milky Way galaxy will eventually smash into the nearby Andromeda galaxy. When two galaxies meet, they tend to rip each other apart, leaving a trail, called a tidal tail, of gas and dust in their wake. It is out of this galactic debris that new dwarf galaxies are born.
The new Spitzer picture demonstrates that these particular dwarfs are actively forming stars. The red color indicates the presence of dust produced in star-forming regions, including organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. PAHs are also found on Earth, in car exhaust and on burnt toast, among other places. Here, the PAHs are being heated up by the young stars, and, as a result, shine in infrared light.
This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a 4-color composite of infrared light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red). Starlight has been subtracted from the orange and red channels in order to enhance the dust, or PAH, features.
Description
This false-color infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows little "dwarf galaxies" forming in the "tails" of two larger galaxies that are colliding together. The big galaxies are at the center of the picture, while the dwarfs can be seen as red dots in the red streamers, or tidal tails. The two blue dots above the big galaxies are stars in the foreground.
Galaxy mergers are common occurrences in the universe; for example, our own Milky Way galaxy will eventually smash into the nearby Andromeda galaxy. When two galaxies meet, they tend to rip each other apart, leaving a trail, called a tidal tail, of gas and dust in their wake. It is out of this galactic debris that new dwarf galaxies are born.
The new Spitzer picture demonstrates that these particular dwarfs are actively forming stars. The red color indicates the presence of dust produced in star-forming regions, including organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. PAHs are also found on Earth, in car exhaust and on burnt toast, among other places. Here, the PAHs are being heated up by the young stars, and, as a result, shine in infrared light.
This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a 4-color composite of infrared light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red). Starlight has been subtracted from the orange and red channels in order to enhance the dust, or PAH, features.
Description
|
|
Release Date:
|
|
2005/11/22
Release_Date
2005/11/22
Release Date
|
|
Release Credit:
|
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
Release Credit
|
|
Image Credit:
|
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
Image Credit
|
|
Object name:
|
|
NGC 5291
Object_name
NGC 5291
Object name
|
|
Object type:
|
|
Interacting galaxies
Object_type
Interacting galaxies
Object type
|
|
Position (J2000):
|
|
*RA: *13h47m24.50s *Dec: *-30d24m25.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *13h47m24.50s *Dec: *-30d24m25.00s
Position (J2000)
|
|
Distance:
|
|
200 million light-years
Distance
200 million light-years
Distance
|
|
Constellation:
|
|
Hydra
Constellation
Hydra
Constellation
|
|
Wavelength:
|
|
3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), 8.0 microns (red)
Wavelength
3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), 8.0 microns (red)
Wavelength
|
|
Image scale:
|
|
8.5 x 7.1 arcmin
Image_scale
8.5 x 7.1 arcmin
Image scale
|
|
Observers:
|
|
Sarah J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
James L. Higdon (Cornell University)
Jason Marshall (Cornell University)
Observers
Sarah J. U. Higdon (Cornell University)
James L. Higdon (Cornell University)
Jason Marshall (Cornell University)
Observers
|
|
Instrument:
|
|
IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
|
|
Exposure Date:
|
|
February 17, 2004
Exposure_Date
February 17, 2004
Exposure Date
|
|
Exposure Time:
|
|
108 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
108 seconds per position
Exposure Time
|
|
Orientation:
|
|
North is 140 deg clockwise from up
Orientation
North is 140 deg clockwise from up
Orientation
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Andromeda
facet_what
Andromeda
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Hydra
facet_what
Hydra
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
galaxies
facet_what
galaxies
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Andromeda Galaxy
facet_where
Andromeda Galaxy
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
February 17, 2004
facet_when
February 17, 2004
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
|
|
Image #:
|
|
sig05-021
Image_#
sig05-021
Image #
|
|
original url:
|
original_url
original url
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-SPITZ-sig05-021
UID
SPD-SPITZ-sig05-021
UID
|
