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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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Multiwavelength M81
Title
Multiwavelength M81
Title
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Description:
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This beautiful galaxy is tilted at an oblique angle on to our line of sight, giving a "birds-eye view" of the spiral structure. The galaxy is similar to our Milky Way, but our favorable view provides a better picture of the typical architecture of spiral galaxies.
M81 may be undergoing a surge of star formation along the spiral arms due to a close encounter it may have had with its nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3077 and a nearby starburst galaxy (M82) about 300 million years ago.
M81 is one of the brightest galaxies that can be seen from the Earth. It is high in the northern sky in the circumpolar constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. At an apparent magnitude of 6.8 it is just at the limit of naked-eye visibility. The galaxy's angular size is about the same as that of the Full Moon.
This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometers). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum.
Description
This beautiful galaxy is tilted at an oblique angle on to our line of sight, giving a "birds-eye view" of the spiral structure. The galaxy is similar to our Milky Way, but our favorable view provides a better picture of the typical architecture of spiral galaxies.
M81 may be undergoing a surge of star formation along the spiral arms due to a close encounter it may have had with its nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3077 and a nearby starburst galaxy (M82) about 300 million years ago.
M81 is one of the brightest galaxies that can be seen from the Earth. It is high in the northern sky in the circumpolar constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. At an apparent magnitude of 6.8 it is just at the limit of naked-eye visibility. The galaxy's angular size is about the same as that of the Full Moon.
This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometers). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum.
Description
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Release Date:
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2007/05/30
Release_Date
2007/05/30
Release Date
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Release Credit:
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Hubble data: NASA, ESA, and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); Spitzer data: NASA/JPL/Caltech/S. Willner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Release_Credit
Hubble data: NASA, ESA, and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); Spitzer data: NASA/JPL/Caltech/S. Willner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. Willner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. Willner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image Credit
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Image Credit:
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Hubble data: NASA, ESA, and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image_Credit
Hubble data: NASA, ESA, and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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M81
Object_name
M81
Object name
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Object name:
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NGC 3031
Object_name
NGC 3031
Object name
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Object name:
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Bode's Galaxy
Object_name
Bode's Galaxy
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: *09h55m33.00s *Dec: *69d03m55.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *09h55m33.00s *Dec: *69d03m55.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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11.6 million light-years (3.6 megaparsecs)
Distance
11.6 million light-years (3.6 megaparsecs)
Distance
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Constellation:
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Ursa Major
Constellation
Ursa Major
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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8 Microns
Wavelength
8 Microns
Wavelength
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Wavelength:
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135 to 175 nanometers; Hubble filter F435W (Blue)
Wavelength
135 to 175 nanometers; Hubble filter F435W (Blue)
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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This image is roughy 19 arcminutes (64,000 light-years or roughly 20 kiloparsecs) tall
Image_scale
This image is roughy 19 arcminutes (64,000 light-years or roughly 20 kiloparsecs) tall
Image scale
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Observers:
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Karl D. Gordon, Principal Investigator (University of Arizona)
Steven P. Willner, Principal Investigator (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Almudena Alonso-Herroro (University of Arizona)
Philip Appleton (SSC/Caltech)
Matthew L. N. Ashby (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Pauline Barmby (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Chad Engelbracht (University of Arizona)
Giovanni G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
David Frayer (SSC/Caltech)
George Helou (SSC/Caltech)
Joannah Hinz (University of Arizona)
Robert Kennicutt (University of Arizona)
Karl Misselt (University of Arizona)
Michael A. Pahre (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Pablo Perez-Gonzalez (University of Arizona)
George Rieke (University of Arizona)
Marcia Rieke (University of Arizona)
Susan Stolovy (SSC/Caltech)
Lisa Storrie-Lombardi (SSC/Caltech)
A. Zezas, G. Fabbiano, A. Prestwich, and M. Garcia (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin, Madison), J. Miller (University of Michigan), P. Kaaret (University of Iowa), V. Kalogera (Northwestern University), M. Ward (University of Durham), and A. King (University of Leicester); and proposal 10250: J. Huchra, P. Barmby, and B. Mcleod (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and J. Brodie and J. Strader (University of California, Santa Cruz).
Observers
Karl D. Gordon, Principal Investigator (University of Arizona)
Steven P. Willner, Principal Investigator (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Almudena Alonso-Herroro (University of Arizona)
Philip Appleton (SSC/Caltech)
Matthew L. N. Ashby (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Pauline Barmby (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Chad Engelbracht (University of Arizona)
Giovanni G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
David Frayer (SSC/Caltech)
George Helou (SSC/Caltech)
Joannah Hinz (University of Arizona)
Robert Kennicutt (University of Arizona)
Karl Misselt (University of Arizona)
Michael A. Pahre (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Pablo Perez-Gonzalez (University of Arizona)
George Rieke (University of Arizona)
Marcia Rieke (University of Arizona)
Susan Stolovy (SSC/Caltech)
Lisa Storrie-Lombardi (SSC/Caltech)
A. Zezas, G. Fabbiano, A. Prestwich, and M. Garcia (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin, Madison), J. Miller (University of Michigan), P. Kaaret (University of Iowa), V. Kalogera (Northwestern University), M. Ward (University of Durham), and A. King (University of Leicester); and proposal 10250: J. Huchra, P. Barmby, and B. Mcleod (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and J. Brodie and J. Strader (University of California, Santa Cruz).
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Instrument:
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GALEX Far-UV, Hubble ACS/WFC
Instrument
GALEX Far-UV, Hubble ACS/WFC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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November 6, 2003
Exposure_Date
November 6, 2003
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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50 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
50 seconds per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
North is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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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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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MIPS
facet_what
MIPS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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GALEX
facet_what
GALEX
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Ursa Major
facet_what
Ursa Major
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Explorer
facet_what
Explorer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Galaxy Evolution Explorer
facet_what
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Moon
facet_what
Moon
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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Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Madison
facet_where
Madison
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Wisconsin
facet_where
Wisconsin
facet_where
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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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M82
facet_where
M82
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Michigan
facet_where
Michigan
facet_where
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facet_where:
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M81
facet_where
M81
facet_where
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facet_where:
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NGC 3077
facet_where
NGC 3077
facet_where
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facet_where:
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NGC 3031
facet_where
NGC 3031
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Bode's Galaxy
facet_where
Bode's Galaxy
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Chad
facet_where
Chad
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Iowa
facet_where
Iowa
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Santa Cruz
facet_where
Santa Cruz
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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Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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November 6, 2003
facet_when
November 6, 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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sig07-009
Image_#
sig07-009
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-sig07-009
UID
SPD-SPITZ-sig07-009
UID
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