|
|
The Infrared Helix
| Title |
The Infrared Helix |
| Description |
The Helix Nebula, which is composed of gaseous shells and disks puffed out by a dying sunlike star, exhibits complex structure on the smallest visible scales. In this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, infrared light at wavelengths of 3.2, 4.5, and 8.0 microns has been colored blue, green, and red (respectively). The color saturation also has been increased to intensify hues. The "cometary knots" show blue-green heads due to excitation of their molecular material from shocks or ultraviolet radiation. The tails of the cometary knots appear redder due to being shielded from the central star's ultraviolet radiation and wind by the heads of the knots. |
|
The Infrared Helix
| Title |
The Infrared Helix |
| Description |
The Helix Nebula, which is composed of gaseous shells and disks puffed out by a dying sunlike star, exhibits complex structure on the smallest visible scales. In this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, infrared light at wavelengths of 3.2, 4.5, and 8.0 microns has been colored blue, green, and red (respectively). The color saturation also has been increased to intensify hues. The "cometary knots" show blue-green heads due to excitation of their molecular material from shocks or ultraviolet radiation. The tails of the cometary knots appear redder due to being shielded from the central star's ultraviolet radiation and wind by the heads of the knots. |
|
The Mark of a Dying Star
| Title |
The Mark of a Dying Star |
| Description |
Six hundred and fifty light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, a dead star about the size of Earth, is refusing to fade away peacefully. In death, it is spewing out massive amounts of hot gas and intense ultraviolet radiation, creating a spectacular object called a "planetary nebula." In this false-color image, NASA's Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes have teamed up to capture the complex structure of the object, called the Helix nebula, in unprecedented detail. The composite picture is made up of visible data from Hubble and infrared data from Spitzer. The dead star, called a white dwarf, can be seen at the center of the image as a white dot. All of the colorful gaseous material seen in the image was once part of the central star, but was lost in the death throes of the star on its way to becoming a white dwarf. The intense ultraviolet radiation being released by the white dwarf is heating and destabilizing the molecules in its surrounding environment, starting from the inside out. Like an electric stovetop slowly heating up from the center first, the hottest and most unstable gas molecules can be seen at the center of the nebula as wisps of blue. The transition to more stable and cooler molecules is clearly depicted as the color of the gas changes from very hot (blue) to hot (yellow) and warm (red). A striking feature of the Helix, first revealed by ground-based images, is its collection of thousands of filamentary structures, or strands of gas. In this image the filaments can be seen under the transparent blue gas as red lines radiating out from the center. Astronomers believe that the molecules in these filaments are able to stay cooler and more stable because dense clumps of materials are shielding them from ultraviolet radiation. This image is a composite showing ionized H-alpha (green) and O III (blue) gases from the Hubble Space Telescope, and molecular hydrogen (red) from Spitzer observations at 4.5 and 8.0 microns. |
|
The Mark of a Dying Star
| Title |
The Mark of a Dying Star |
| Description |
Six hundred and fifty light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, a dead star about the size of Earth, is refusing to fade away peacefully. In death, it is spewing out massive amounts of hot gas and intense ultraviolet radiation, creating a spectacular object called a "planetary nebula." In this false-color image, NASA's Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes have teamed up to capture the complex structure of the object, called the Helix nebula, in unprecedented detail. The composite picture is made up of visible data from Hubble and infrared data from Spitzer. The dead star, called a white dwarf, can be seen at the center of the image as a white dot. All of the colorful gaseous material seen in the image was once part of the central star, but was lost in the death throes of the star on its way to becoming a white dwarf. The intense ultraviolet radiation being released by the white dwarf is heating and destabilizing the molecules in its surrounding environment, starting from the inside out. Like an electric stovetop slowly heating up from the center first, the hottest and most unstable gas molecules can be seen at the center of the nebula as wisps of blue. The transition to more stable and cooler molecules is clearly depicted as the color of the gas changes from very hot (blue) to hot (yellow) and warm (red). A striking feature of the Helix, first revealed by ground-based images, is its collection of thousands of filamentary structures, or strands of gas. In this image the filaments can be seen under the transparent blue gas as red lines radiating out from the center. Astronomers believe that the molecules in these filaments are able to stay cooler and more stable because dense clumps of materials are shielding them from ultraviolet radiation. This image is a composite showing ionized H-alpha (green) and O III (blue) gases from the Hubble Space Telescope, and molecular hydrogen (red) from Spitzer observations at 4.5 and 8.0 microns. |
|
The Infrared Helix (Expanded
…
| Title |
The Infrared Helix (Expanded View) |
| Description |
The Helix Nebula, which is composed of gaseous shells and disks puffed out by a dying sunlike star, exhibits complex structure on the smallest visible scales. In this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, infrared light at wavelengths of 3.2, 4.5, and 8.0 microns has been colored blue, green, and red (respectively). The "cometary knots" show blue-green heads due to excitation of their molecular material from shocks or ultraviolet radiation. The tails of the cometary knots appear redder due to being shielded from the central star's ultraviolet radiation and wind by the heads of the knots. |
|
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix
…
| Title |
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix Nebula |
| Description |
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye. The nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter. Planetary nebulae are the remains of stars that once looked a lot like our sun. When sun-like stars die, they puff out their outer gaseous layers. These layers are heated by the hot core of the dead star, called a white dwarf, and shine with infrared and visible colors. Our own sun will blossom into a planetary nebula when it dies in about five billion years. In Spitzer's infrared view of the Helix nebula, the eye looks more like that of a green monster's. Infrared light from the outer gaseous layers is represented in blues and greens. The white dwarf is visible as a tiny white dot in the center of the picture. The red color in the middle of the eye denotes the final layers of gas blown out when the star died. The brighter red circle in the very center is the glow of a dusty disk circling the white dwarf (the disk itself is too small to be resolved). This dust, discovered by Spitzer's infrared heat-seeking vision, was most likely kicked up by comets that survived the death of their star. Before the star died, its comets and possibly planets would have orbited the star in an orderly fashion. But when the star blew off its outer layers, the icy bodies and outer planets would have been tossed about and into each other, resulting in an ongoing cosmic dust storm. Any inner planets in the system would have burned up or been swallowed as their dying star expanded. So far, the Helix nebula is one of only a few dead-star systems in which evidence for comet survivors has been found. This image is made up of data from Spitzer's infrared array camera and multiband imaging photometer. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 to 4.5 microns, green shows infrared light of 5.8 to 8 microns, and red shows infrared light of 24 microns. |
|
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix
…
| Title |
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix Nebula |
| Description |
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye. The nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter. Planetary nebulae are the remains of stars that once looked a lot like our sun. When sun-like stars die, they puff out their outer gaseous layers. These layers are heated by the hot core of the dead star, called a white dwarf, and shine with infrared and visible colors. Our own sun will blossom into a planetary nebula when it dies in about five billion years. In Spitzer's infrared view of the Helix nebula, the eye looks more like that of a green monster's. Infrared light from the outer gaseous layers is represented in blues and greens. The white dwarf is visible as a tiny white dot in the center of the picture. The red color in the middle of the eye denotes the final layers of gas blown out when the star died. The brighter red circle in the very center is the glow of a dusty disk circling the white dwarf (the disk itself is too small to be resolved). This dust, discovered by Spitzer's infrared heat-seeking vision, was most likely kicked up by comets that survived the death of their star. Before the star died, its comets and possibly planets would have orbited the star in an orderly fashion. But when the star blew off its outer layers, the icy bodies and outer planets would have been tossed about and into each other, resulting in an ongoing cosmic dust storm. Any inner planets in the system would have burned up or been swallowed as their dying star expanded. So far, the Helix nebula is one of only a few dead-star systems in which evidence for comet survivors has been found. This image is made up of data from Spitzer's infrared array camera and multiband imaging photometer. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 to 4.5 microns, green shows infrared light of 5.8 to 8 microns, and red shows infrared light of 24 microns. |
|
Abell 2597: Chandra Finds Gh
…
| Name |
Abell 2597: Chandra Finds Ghosts Of Eruption In Galaxy Cluster |
| Category |
Groups & Clusters of Galaxies |
| Release Date |
January 08, 2002 |
|
Hubble Finds Thousands of Ga
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds Thousands of Gaseous Fragments Surrounding a Dying Star |
|
Hubble Finds Thousands of Ga
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds Thousands of Gaseous Fragments Surrounding a Dying Star |
|
Hubble Finds Thousands of Ga
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds Thousands of Gaseous Fragments Surrounding a Dying Star |
|
Hubble Makes Precise Measure
…
| Title |
Hubble Makes Precise Measure of Extrasolar World's True Mass |
|
Hubble Makes Precise Measure
…
| Title |
Hubble Makes Precise Measure of Extrasolar World's True Mass |
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Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
Iridescent Glory of Nearby P
…
| Title |
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Planetary Nebula Showcased on Astronomy Day |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
A New Twist on an Old Nebula
| Title |
A New Twist on an Old Nebula |
|
Hubble's Advanced Camera for
…
| Title |
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys Resumes Exploring the Universe |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. After a brief hiatus, the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope is back in business, probing the far reaches of space in a quest to understand the true nature of the universe?s most dominant constituent: dark energy. This is one of the first images of the universe taken after the ACS camera resumed science operation on July 4th. The camera was offline for nearly two weeks as NASA engineers switched to a backup power supply after the camera?s primary power supply failed. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/36/full/ ] |
|
Hubble's Advanced Camera for
…
| Title |
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys Resumes Exploring the Universe |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. After a brief hiatus, the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope is back in business, probing the far reaches of space in a quest to understand the true nature of the universe?s most dominant constituent: dark energy. This is one of the first images of the universe taken after the ACS camera resumed science operation on July 4th. The camera was offline for nearly two weeks as NASA engineers switched to a backup power supply after the camera?s primary power supply failed. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/36/full/ ] |
|
Hubble's Advanced Camera for
…
| Title |
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys Resumes Exploring the Universe |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. After a brief hiatus, the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope is back in business, probing the far reaches of space in a quest to understand the true nature of the universe?s most dominant constituent: dark energy. This is one of the first images of the universe taken after the ACS camera resumed science operation on July 4th. The camera was offline for nearly two weeks as NASA engineers switched to a backup power supply after the camera?s primary power supply failed. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/36/full/ ] |
|
Hubble's Advanced Camera for
…
| Title |
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys Resumes Exploring the Universe |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. After a brief hiatus, the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope is back in business, probing the far reaches of space in a quest to understand the true nature of the universe?s most dominant constituent: dark energy. This is one of the first images of the universe taken after the ACS camera resumed science operation on July 4th. The camera was offline for nearly two weeks as NASA engineers switched to a backup power supply after the camera?s primary power supply failed. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/36/full/ ] |
|
The Helix Nebula from CFHT
| Title |
The Helix Nebula from CFHT |
| Explanation |
One day our Sun may look like this. The Helix Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960417.html ] is the closest example of a planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html ] created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star expelled into space [ http://www.seds.org/messier/planetar.html ] appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix [ http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Helix.html ]. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/dwarfs.html ], glows in light so energetic [ http://snoopy.gsfc.nasa.gov/~orfeus2/ultraviolet.html ] it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/xref/exhibits/fluorescent_tube.html ]. The Helix Nebula [ http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jstys/nebulae/ngc7293.html ], given a technical designation of NGC 7293 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n7293.html ], lies 450 light-years [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html ] away towards the constellation [ http://www.emufarm.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html ] of Aquarius [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/aqr.html ] and spans 1.5 light-years. The above image was taken with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope [ http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/ ] (CFHT) located atop a dormant volcano in Hawaii [ http://www.state.hi.us/ ], USA. A close-up of the inner edge [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970720.html ] of the Helix Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970901.html ] shows unusual gas knots of unknown origin [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1998ApJ...503..792B ]. |
|
NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula
| Title |
NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula |
| Explanation |
Will our Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] look like this one day? The Helix Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000828.html ] is the closest example of a planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html ] created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star expelled into space [ http://www.seds.org/messier/planetar.html ] appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix [ http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Helix.html ]. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/dwarfs.html ], glows in light so energetic [ http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/uv.html ] it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/xref/exhibits/fluorescent_tube.html ]. The Helix Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n7293.html ], given a technical designation of NGC 7293 [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~akspeck/evolved-stuff/nebulae/Helix/ ], lies about 650 light-years [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html ] away towards the constellation [ http://www.emufarm.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html ] of Aquarius [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/aqr.html ] and spans about 2.5 light-years. The above picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/2003/11/ ] is a composite [ http://archive.stsci.edu/hst/helix/ ] of newly released images from the ACS [ http://acs.pha.jhu.edu/ ] instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010806.html ] and wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN [ http://www.noao.edu/wiyn/ ] 0.9-m Telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/dir/09m/description.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ]. A close-up [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020512.html ] of the inner edge of the Helix Nebula [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/2003/11/fastfacts ] shows complex gas knots of unknown origin [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2002ApJ...573L..55H ]. |
|
Peculiar Arp 295
| Title |
Peculiar Arp 295 |
| Explanation |
A spectacular bridge of stars and gas [ http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~jhibbard/MergeSeq/mergeseq.html ] stretches for nearly 250,000 light-years and joins this famous peculiar [ http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/frames.html ] pair of galaxies cataloged as Arp 295 [ http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~jhibbard/a295/a295.html ]. The cosmic bridge between the galaxies [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/ universe_level2/galaxies.html ] and the long tail extending below and right of picture center are strong evidence that these two immense star systems have passed close to each other [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020506.html ] in the past, allowing violent tides induced by mutual gravity to create the eye-catching plumes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020502.html ] of stellar material. While such interactions [ http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~cturner/p401/collisions.html ] are drawn out over billions of years, repeated close passages [ http://www.npaci.edu/online/v4.9/galaxies2.html ] should ultimately result in the merger of this pair of galaxies into a larger single galaxy of stars. Although this scenario [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query? bibcode=1972ApJ...178..623T&db_key=AST&high=3c862d41db22593 ] does look peculiar, galactic mergers are thought to be common, with Arp 295 representing an early stage of this inevitable process. The Arp 295 pair are the largest of a loose grouping of galaxies about 270 million light-years distant toward the constellation Aquarius. This deep color image [ http://www.ghg.net/akelly/ ] of the region was recorded in September using the USNO 1 meter telescope [ http://www.nofs.navy.mil/about_NOFS/telescopes/rc.html ] near Flagstaff, Arizona. |
|
Infrared Helix
| Title |
Infrared Helix |
| Explanation |
Five hundred light years from Earth, in the constellation Aquarius [ http://bradley.bradley.edu/~dware/aquarius.html ], a sun-like star is dying. Its last few thousand years have produced the Helix [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960417.html ], a well studied [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960422.html ] and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula [ http://fusedweb.pppl.gov/CPEP/Chart_Pages/5.Plasmas/Nebula/ Planetary.html ] - typical of this final phase of stellar evolution [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960117.html ]. The emission in this Infrared Space Observatory [ http://isowww.estec.esa.nl/ISO/ISO.html ] image of the Helix nebula comes mostly from the expanding shells of molecular hydrogen gas. Dust, normally expected in such nebulae, should also radiate strongly at infrared wavelengths but mysteriously seems to be absent here [ http://isowww.estec.esa.nl/activities/info/2597/iso18083.html ]. The culprit may may well be the Helix's central star, a contracting white dwarf [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961203.html ]. This small but extremely hot star radiates most of its energy at short Ultraviolet wavelengths [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/learning_center/introduction/ emspectrum.html ] and is invisible in this infrared mage. Astronomers suspect that over time, this intense Ultraviolet radiation may have destroyed the dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961119.html ]. The Sun is expected to go through its own [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/interv.html ] Planetary Nebula phase ... in another 5 billion years. |
|
Gliese 876 System Includes L
…
| Title |
Gliese 876 System Includes Large Terrestrial Planet |
| Explanation |
Is our Earth unique? In continuing efforts to answer this question, astronomers have now discovered [ http://exoplanets.org/gl876_web/press_release_NSF.htm ] an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant normal star. Previously over 150 gas-giant planets [ http://exoplanets.org/exoplanets_pub.html ] like Jupiter [ http://www.nineplanets.org/jupiter.html ] had been so discovered. Slight, fast, but regular wobbles [ http://exoplanets.org/gl876_web/gl876_tech.html ] of nearby small M [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040418.html ]-dwarf [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_sequence ] star Gliese 876 showed evidence for a planet with a likely mass slightly higher than a minimum six times the mass of Earth. The planet's small mass indicates that it is likely terrestrial [ http://wind.cc.whecn.edu/~marquard/astronomy/terrestrial.htm ] in nature, similar in composition to the inner planets of our Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ]. If indeed made predominantly of rock, the planet's surface gravity [ http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/surfacegravity.html ] would not even be able to contain the gasses of a Jupiter-like planet. The newly discovered planet [ http://exoplanets.org/gl876_web/press_release_NSF.htm ] would not make a good vacation spot [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050224.html ] for humans, however, as it orbits so close that the surface temperature probably tops a searing 200 degrees Celsius [ http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/temps.htm ]. The system is illustrated in the above drawing [ http://exoplanets.org/gl876_web/gl876_graphics.html ] as seen from a hypothetical moon orbiting one of the two Jupiter-like planets already known [ http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/planets/Gl876.html ]. The newly discovered terrestrial-like planet is depicted in the insert. Gliese 876 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980626.html ] lies only 15 light-years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] away and is visible with binoculars toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Aquarius [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=4 ]. |
|
Peculiar Arp 295
| Title |
Peculiar Arp 295 |
| Explanation |
A spectacular bridge of stars and gas [ http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~jhibbard/MergeSeq/mergeseq.html ] stretches for nearly 250,000 light-years and joins this famous peculiar [ http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/frames.html ] pair of galaxies cataloged as Arp 295 [ http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~jhibbard/a295/a295.html ]. The cosmic bridge between the galaxies [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/ universe_level2/galaxies.html ] and the long tail extending below and right of picture center are strong evidence that these two immense star systems have passed close to each other [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020506.html ] in the past, allowing violent tides induced by mutual gravity to create the eye-catching plumes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020502.html ] of stellar material. While such interactions are drawn out over billions of years, repeated close passages [ http://www.npaci.edu/online/v4.9/galaxies2.html ] should ultimately result in the merger of this pair of galaxies into a larger single galaxy of stars. Although this scenario [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query? bibcode=1972ApJ...178..623T&db_key=AST&high=3c862d41db22593 ] does look peculiar, galactic mergers are thought to be common, with Arp 295 representing an early stage of this inevitable process. The Arp 295 pair are the largest of a loose grouping of galaxies about 270 million light-years distant toward the constellation Aquarius. This deep color image [ http://www.ghg.net/akelly/ ] of the region was recorded in September 2003 using the USNO 1 meter telescope [ http://www.nofs.navy.mil/about_NOFS/telescopes/rc.html ] near Flagstaff, Arizona. |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
…
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The boat with NEEMO-6 personnel ties up at the dock in Key Largo after a training session offshore at NASA?s undersea research station, named Aquarius. At right is Bill Todd, project lead. The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 6 (NEEMO-6) mission involves spacewalk-like diving excursions and field-testing a variety of biomedical equipment designed to help astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. The NEEMO-6 team comprises astronaut John Herrington, mission commander, astronauts Doug Wheelock and Nick Patrick, and biomedical engineer Tara Ruttley. To prepare for their 10-day stay, the team had dive training twice a day at the Life Support Buoy, anchored above Aquarius. |
| Release Date |
07/07/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
…
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A boat returns to the dock in Key Largo from a training session offshore at NASA?s undersea research station, named Aquarius. At left is Marc Reagan, lead on the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 6 (NEEMO-6) mission. In the bow is astronaut John Herrington, mission commander. The others are support personnel. Members of the team also include astronauts Doug Wheelock and Nick Patrick, and biomedical engineer Tara Ruttley. To prepare for their 10-day stay, the team had dive training twice a day. While stationed in Aquarius, the team conducted spacewalk-like diving excursions and field-testing a variety of biomedical equipment designed to help astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. |
| Release Date |
07/07/2004 |
|
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