|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
Fire within the Antennae Galaxies
Title
Fire within the Antennae Galaxies
Title
|
|
Original Caption Released with Image:
|
|
This false-color image composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals hidden populations of newborn stars at the heart of the colliding "Antennae" galaxies. These two galaxies, known individually as NGC 4038 and 4039, are located around 68 million light-years away and have been merging together for about the last 800 million years. The latest Spitzer observations provide a snapshot of the tremendous burst of star formation triggered in the process of this collision, particularly at the site where the two galaxies overlap.
The image is a composite of infrared data from Spitzer and visible-light data from Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, Ariz. Visible light from stars in the galaxies (blue and green) is shown together with infrared light from warm dust clouds heated by newborn stars (red).
The two nuclei, or centers, of the merging galaxies show up as yellow-white areas, one above the other. The brightest clouds of forming stars lie in the overlap region between and left of the nuclei.
Throughout the sky, astronomers have identified many of these so-called "interacting" galaxies, whose spiral discs have been stretched and distorted by their mutual gravity as they pass close to one another. The distances involved are so large that the interactions evolve on timescales comparable to geologic changes on Earth. Observations of such galaxies, combined with computer models of these collisions, show that the galaxies often become forever bound to one another, eventually merging into a single, spheroidal-shaped galaxy.
Wavelengths of 0.44 microns are represented in blue, .70 microns in green and 8.0 microns in red. This image was taken on Dec. 24, 2003.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This false-color image composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals hidden populations of newborn stars at the heart of the colliding "Antennae" galaxies. These two galaxies, known individually as NGC 4038 and 4039, are located around 68 million light-years away and have been merging together for about the last 800 million years. The latest Spitzer observations provide a snapshot of the tremendous burst of star formation triggered in the process of this collision, particularly at the site where the two galaxies overlap.
The image is a composite of infrared data from Spitzer and visible-light data from Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, Ariz. Visible light from stars in the galaxies (blue and green) is shown together with infrared light from warm dust clouds heated by newborn stars (red).
The two nuclei, or centers, of the merging galaxies show up as yellow-white areas, one above the other. The brightest clouds of forming stars lie in the overlap region between and left of the nuclei.
Throughout the sky, astronomers have identified many of these so-called "interacting" galaxies, whose spiral discs have been stretched and distorted by their mutual gravity as they pass close to one another. The distances involved are so large that the interactions evolve on timescales comparable to geologic changes on Earth. Observations of such galaxies, combined with computer models of these collisions, show that the galaxies often become forever bound to one another, eventually merging into a single, spheroidal-shaped galaxy.
Wavelengths of 0.44 microns are represented in blue, .70 microns in green and 8.0 microns in red. This image was taken on Dec. 24, 2003.
Original Caption Released with Image
|
|
Image Credit:
|
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Har vard-Smithsonian CfA/NOAO/AURA
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Har vard-Smithsonian CfA/NOAO/AURA
Image Credit
|
|
Produced By:
|
|
California Institute of Technology
Produced_By
California Institute of Technology
Produced By
|
|
Mission:
|
|
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Mission
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Mission
|
|
Spacecraft:
|
|
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Spacecraft
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Spacecraft
|
|
Instrument:
|
|
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Instrument
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Instrument
|
|
Product Size:
|
|
1125 samples x 1125 lines
Product_Size
1125 samples x 1125 lines
Product Size
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Snapshot
facet_what
Snapshot
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
SST
facet_what
SST
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Aura
facet_what
Aura
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
California
facet_where
California
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
NGC 4038
facet_where
NGC 4038
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Antennae Galaxies
facet_where
Antennae Galaxies
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
|
|
Image #:
|
|
PIA06854
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA06854
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA06854
UID
|
|
orignial url:
|
orignial_url
orignial url
|
