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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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Galactic Fossil Revealed in Infrared Light
Title
Galactic Fossil Revealed in Infrared Light
Title
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Description:
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This animation demonstrates the power of infrared light to see what visible light cannot -- a newfound bundle of stars called a globular cluster. The movie shifts from a visible-light image to a near-infrared image to a new mid-infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The visible-light image is from the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey and the near-infrared image is from the NASA-funded Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS).
Globular clusters date back to the birth of our galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago. There are about 150 clusters sprinkled around the core of the galaxy like seeds in a pumpkin. Astronomers use these galactic "fossils" as tools for studying the age and formation of the Milky Way.
Most clusters orbit around the center of the galaxy well above its dust-enshrouded disc, or plane, while making brief, repeated passes through the plane that each last about a million years. Spitzer, with infrared eyes that can see into the dusty galactic plane, first spotted the newfound cluster during its current pass. Astronomers then searched for past references to the cluster and found only one undocumented image from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey.
Follow-up observations with the University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory helped set the distance of the new cluster at about 9,000 light-years from Earth -- closer than most clusters -- and set the mass at the equivalent of 300,000 Suns. The cluster's apparent size, as viewed from Earth, is comparable to a grain of rice held at arm's length. It is located in the constellation Aquila.
Astronomers believe that this cluster may be one of the last in our galaxy to be uncovered.
The Two Micron All-Sky Survey false-color image was obtained using near-infrared wavelengths ranging from 1.3 to 2.2 microns. The Spitzer false-color image composite was taken on April 21, 2004, by its infrared array camera. It is composed of images obtained at four mid-infrared wavelengths: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). The true-color image from the Digitized Sky Survey was acquired with red and blue filters.
Description
This animation demonstrates the power of infrared light to see what visible light cannot -- a newfound bundle of stars called a globular cluster. The movie shifts from a visible-light image to a near-infrared image to a new mid-infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The visible-light image is from the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey and the near-infrared image is from the NASA-funded Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS).
Globular clusters date back to the birth of our galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago. There are about 150 clusters sprinkled around the core of the galaxy like seeds in a pumpkin. Astronomers use these galactic "fossils" as tools for studying the age and formation of the Milky Way.
Most clusters orbit around the center of the galaxy well above its dust-enshrouded disc, or plane, while making brief, repeated passes through the plane that each last about a million years. Spitzer, with infrared eyes that can see into the dusty galactic plane, first spotted the newfound cluster during its current pass. Astronomers then searched for past references to the cluster and found only one undocumented image from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey.
Follow-up observations with the University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory helped set the distance of the new cluster at about 9,000 light-years from Earth -- closer than most clusters -- and set the mass at the equivalent of 300,000 Suns. The cluster's apparent size, as viewed from Earth, is comparable to a grain of rice held at arm's length. It is located in the constellation Aquila.
Astronomers believe that this cluster may be one of the last in our galaxy to be uncovered.
The Two Micron All-Sky Survey false-color image was obtained using near-infrared wavelengths ranging from 1.3 to 2.2 microns. The Spitzer false-color image composite was taken on April 21, 2004, by its infrared array camera. It is composed of images obtained at four mid-infrared wavelengths: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). The true-color image from the Digitized Sky Survey was acquired with red and blue filters.
Description
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Release Date:
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2004/10/12
Release_Date
2004/10/12
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Kobulnicky (Univ. of Wyoming)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Kobulnicky (Univ. of Wyoming)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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GLIMPSE-C01
Object_name
GLIMPSE-C01
Object name
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Object type:
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Globular cluster
Object_type
Globular cluster
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *18h48m49.70s *Dec: *-1d29m50.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *18h48m49.70s *Dec: *-1d29m50.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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3.1-5.2 kpc or 10,000-17,000 light-years
Distance
3.1-5.2 kpc or 10,000-17,000 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Aquila
Constellation
Aquila
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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6x6 arcmin
Image_scale
6x6 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Henry Kobulnicky (Principal Investigator) - University of Wyoming
B.L. Babler - University of Wisconsin-Madison
T.M. Bania - Boston University
R.A. Benjamin - University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
B.A. Buckalew - University of Wyoming
R. Canterna - University of Wyoming
E. Churchwell - University of Wisconsin-Madison
D. Clemens - Boston University
M. Cohen - University of California-Berkley
J.M. Darnel - University of Wyoming
J.M. Dickey - University of Minnesota
R. Indebetouw - University of Wisconsin-Madison
J.M. Jackson - Boston University
A. Kutyrev - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
A.P. Marston - ESTEC/SCI-SA
J.S. Mathis - University of Maryland
M.R. Meade - University of Wisconsin-Madison
E.P. Mercer - Boston University
A.J. Monson - University of Wyoming
J.P. Norris - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
M.J. Pierce - University of Wyoming
R. Shah - Boston University
J.R. Stauffer - Caltech, Spitzer Science Center
S.R. Stolovy - Caltech, Spitzer Science Center
B. Uzpen - University of Wyoming
C. Watson - University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.A. Whitney - Space Science Institute
M.J. Wolff - Space Science Institute
M.G. Wolfire - University of Maryland
Observers
Henry Kobulnicky (Principal Investigator) - University of Wyoming
B.L. Babler - University of Wisconsin-Madison
T.M. Bania - Boston University
R.A. Benjamin - University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
B.A. Buckalew - University of Wyoming
R. Canterna - University of Wyoming
E. Churchwell - University of Wisconsin-Madison
D. Clemens - Boston University
M. Cohen - University of California-Berkley
J.M. Darnel - University of Wyoming
J.M. Dickey - University of Minnesota
R. Indebetouw - University of Wisconsin-Madison
J.M. Jackson - Boston University
A. Kutyrev - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
A.P. Marston - ESTEC/SCI-SA
J.S. Mathis - University of Maryland
M.R. Meade - University of Wisconsin-Madison
E.P. Mercer - Boston University
A.J. Monson - University of Wyoming
J.P. Norris - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
M.J. Pierce - University of Wyoming
R. Shah - Boston University
J.R. Stauffer - Caltech, Spitzer Science Center
S.R. Stolovy - Caltech, Spitzer Science Center
B. Uzpen - University of Wyoming
C. Watson - University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.A. Whitney - Space Science Institute
M.J. Wolff - Space Science Institute
M.G. Wolfire - University of Maryland
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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2004 April 21
Exposure_Date
2004 April 21
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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2.4 sec
Exposure_Time
2.4 sec
Exposure Time
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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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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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Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Aquila
facet_what
Aquila
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_where:
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Minnesota
facet_where
Minnesota
facet_where
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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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Maryland
facet_where
Maryland
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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Boston
facet_where
Boston
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jackson
facet_where
Jackson
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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Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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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April 21, 2004
facet_when
April 21, 2004
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2004-16v1
Image_#
ssc2004-16v1
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-ssc2004-16 v1
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2004-16 v1
UID
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