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Galactic Fossil Revealed in
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| Title |
Galactic Fossil Revealed in Infrared Light |
| 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. |
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Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fos
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| Title |
Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fossil |
| Description |
This false-color image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a globular cluster previously hidden in the dusty plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Globular clusters are compact bundles of old stars that date back to the birth of our galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago. 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. A visible-light image (inset) shows only a dark patch of sky. The red streak behind the core of the cluster is a dust cloud, which may indicate the cluster's interaction with the Milky Way. Alternatively, this cloud may lie coincidentally along Spitzer's line of sight. 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. This image composite was taken on April 21, 2004, by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is composed of images obtained at four wavelengths: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). The visible-light image is from the Digitized Sky Survey, California University of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. |
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Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fos
…
| Title |
Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fossil |
| Description |
This false-color image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a globular cluster previously hidden in the dusty plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Globular clusters are compact bundles of old stars that date back to the birth of our galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago. 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. A visible-light image (inset) shows only a dark patch of sky. The red streak behind the core of the cluster is a dust cloud, which may indicate the cluster's interaction with the Milky Way. Alternatively, this cloud may lie coincidentally along Spitzer's line of sight. 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. This image composite was taken on April 21, 2004, by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is composed of images obtained at four wavelengths: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). The visible-light image is from the Digitized Sky Survey, California University of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. |
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Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fos
…
| Title |
Spitzer Digs Up Galactic Fossil |
| Description |
This false-color image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a globular cluster previously hidden in the dusty plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Globular clusters are compact bundles of old stars that date back to the birth of our galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago. 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. A visible-light image (inset) shows only a dark patch of sky. The red streak behind the core of the cluster is a dust cloud, which may indicate the cluster's interaction with the Milky Way. Alternatively, this cloud may lie coincidentally along Spitzer's line of sight. 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. This image composite was taken on April 21, 2004, by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is composed of images obtained at four wavelengths: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). The visible-light image is from the Digitized Sky Survey, California University of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. |
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Galactic Fossil Found Behind
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| Title |
Galactic Fossil Found Behind Curtain of Dust |
| Description |
This image mosaic shows the same patch of sky in various wavelengths of light. While the visible-light image (left) shows a dark sky speckled with stars, infrared images (middle and right), reveal a never-before-seen bundle of stars, called a globular cluster. The left panel is from the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey, the middle panel includes images from the NASA-funded Two Micron All-Sky Survey and the University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory (circle inset), and the right panel is from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. 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 University of Wyoming Observatory false-color image was captured on July 31, 2004, at wavelengths ranging from 1.2 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). |
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SS 433: Chandra Reveals Pile
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| Name |
SS 433: Chandra Reveals Pileup on Cosmic Speedway |
| Category |
Black Holes |
| Release Date |
December 11, 2002 |
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Hubble Heritage Project's Fi
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| Title |
Hubble Heritage Project's First Anniversary |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. To mark the first anniversary of the Hubble Heritage Project, we present four Hubble telescope images of nebulae surrounding stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Two of these visible-light pictures show interstellar gas and dust around young stars at the beginning of their lives, and two more show gas ejected from old stars that are nearing the end of theirs. Remarkably, in spite of the completely different evolutionary stages, the nebulae have more striking features in common, including evidence of diametrically opposed gas ejections from both the young and old stars. |
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Hubble Heritage Project's Fi
…
| Title |
Hubble Heritage Project's First Anniversary |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. To mark the first anniversary of the Hubble Heritage Project, we present four Hubble telescope images of nebulae surrounding stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Two of these visible-light pictures show interstellar gas and dust around young stars at the beginning of their lives, and two more show gas ejected from old stars that are nearing the end of theirs. Remarkably, in spite of the completely different evolutionary stages, the nebulae have more striking features in common, including evidence of diametrically opposed gas ejections from both the young and old stars. |
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Hubble Heritage Project's Fi
…
| Title |
Hubble Heritage Project's First Anniversary |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. To mark the first anniversary of the Hubble Heritage Project, we present four Hubble telescope images of nebulae surrounding stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Two of these visible-light pictures show interstellar gas and dust around young stars at the beginning of their lives, and two more show gas ejected from old stars that are nearing the end of theirs. Remarkably, in spite of the completely different evolutionary stages, the nebulae have more striking features in common, including evidence of diametrically opposed gas ejections from both the young and old stars. |
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Hubble Heritage Project's Fi
…
| Title |
Hubble Heritage Project's First Anniversary |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. To mark the first anniversary of the Hubble Heritage Project, we present four Hubble telescope images of nebulae surrounding stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Two of these visible-light pictures show interstellar gas and dust around young stars at the beginning of their lives, and two more show gas ejected from old stars that are nearing the end of theirs. Remarkably, in spite of the completely different evolutionary stages, the nebulae have more striking features in common, including evidence of diametrically opposed gas ejections from both the young and old stars. |
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Hubble Heritage Project's Fi
…
| Title |
Hubble Heritage Project's First Anniversary |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. To mark the first anniversary of the Hubble Heritage Project, we present four Hubble telescope images of nebulae surrounding stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Two of these visible-light pictures show interstellar gas and dust around young stars at the beginning of their lives, and two more show gas ejected from old stars that are nearing the end of theirs. Remarkably, in spite of the completely different evolutionary stages, the nebulae have more striking features in common, including evidence of diametrically opposed gas ejections from both the young and old stars. |
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The Glowing Eye of NGC 6751
| Title |
The Glowing Eye of NGC 6751 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
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| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble's Infrared Camera is
…
| Title |
Hubble's Infrared Camera is Back in Business ? New Images Released |
| General Information |
What is an Early Release Observation? A photograph of a celestial object that demonstrates the performance of a new Hubble camera. Back to top [ #top ] |
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The E Nebula in Aquila
| Title |
The E Nebula in Aquila |
| Explanation |
Several unusual strands of darkness [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020526.html ] are prominent toward the constellation of Aquila [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/aquila.html ]. This particular dark nebula [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/glossary/dark_nebula.html ] is known as the E Nebula, for its evocative shape, or B142 and B143, for its position(s) on a list of such nebula compiled by Barnard [ http://astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/virtualmuseum/Barnard.html ]. The E Nebula [ http://www.eastbayastro.org/articles/lore/aquila.htm ] spans roughly the angle of a full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030810.html ] and lies about 2000 light years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] distant. The nebula [ http://www.abmedia.com/astro/current/b142-b143-fs102.html ] can be seen with binoculars and is particularly visible during the summer months in Earth's northern hemisphere. Other names for dark nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/dark_nebulae.html ] include absorption nebula [ http://www.glyphweb.com/esky/concepts/absorptionnebula.html ], as they efficiently absorb visible light emitted behind them, and molecular clouds [ http://etacha.as.arizona.edu/~eem/ttau/gmc.html ], as they frequently attain temperatures low enough so that several different types of stable molecules [ http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/mom/ ] can exist. The low temperatures of these interstellar clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020210.html ] facilitate the formation of dense knots [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011125.html ] of gas that may then collapse into bright stars. |
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Loop I in the Northern Sky
| Title |
Loop I in the Northern Sky |
| Explanation |
One of the largest coherent structures on the sky is known simply as Loop I [ http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1980ApJ...242..533H ] and can best be seen in radio [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990403.html ] and X-ray [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961008.html ] maps. Spanning over 100 degrees, part of Loop I [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1998AGM....14..K04B ] appears so prominent in northern sky maps that it is known as the North Polar Spur (NPS). Loop I, shown above [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/Images/rosat/snr_loop1.html ] in X-ray light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#X-ray ], is a thin bubble of gas about 700 light-years across with a center located only about 400 light-years away. Surprisingly, the cause of this immense structure is still debated, but is possibly related to expanding gas from a million-year old supernova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981230.html ]. Loop I [ http://www.msi.umn.edu/Projects/twj/snrmeet/node17.html ] gas is impacting the nearby Aquila Rift [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980225.html ] molecular cloud [ http://dept.physics.upenn.edu/~myers/ASTR001/L25.html ], and may create relatively dense fragments of the local interstellar medium [ http://pegasus.phast.umass.edu/a100/handouts/ism.html ]. Were our Sun to pass through one of these fragments in the next few million years, it might affect Earth's climate [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1996AAS...188.4408F ]. |
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