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The Birth of Stars
The spectacular new camera i
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11/10/09
| Description |
The spectacular new camera installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4 in May has delivered the most detailed view of star birth in the graceful, curving arms of the nearby spiral galaxy M83. Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid star formation than our own Milky Way galaxy, especially in its nucleus. The sharp 'eye' of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) has captured hundreds of young star clusters, ancient swarms of globular star clusters, and hundreds of thousands of individual stars, mostly blue supergiants and red supergiants. WFC3's broad wavelength range, from ultraviolet to near-infrared, reveals stars at different stages of evolution, allowing astronomers to dissect the galaxy's star-formation history. The image reveals in unprecedented detail the current rapid rate of star birth in this famous "grand design" spiral galaxy. The newest generations of stars are forming largely in clusters on the edges of the dark dust lanes, the backbone of the spiral arms. These fledgling stars, only a few million years old, are bursting out of their dusty cocoons and producing bubbles of reddish glowing hydrogen gas. The excavated regions give a colorful "Swiss cheese" appearance to the spiral arm. Gradually, the young stars' fierce winds (streams of charged particles) blow away the gas, revealing bright blue star clusters. These stars are about 1 million to 10 million years old. The older populations of stars are not as blue. A bar of stars, gas, and dust slicing across the core of the galaxy may be instigating most of the star birth in the galaxy's core. The bar funnels material to the galaxy's center, where the most active star formation is taking place. The brightest star clusters reside along an arc near the core. The remains of about 60 supernova blasts, the deaths of massive stars, can be seen in the image, five times more than known previously in this region. WFC3 identified the remnants of exploded stars. By studying these remnants, astronomers can better understand the nature of the progenitor stars, which are responsible for the creation and dispersal of most of the galaxy's heavy elements. M83, located in the Southern Hemisphere, is often compared to M51, dubbed the Whirlpool galaxy, in the Northern Hemisphere. Located 15 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra, M83 is two times closer to Earth than M51. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), B. Whitmore (Space Telescope Science Institute), M. Dopita (Australian National University), and the Wide Field Camera 3 Science Oversight Committee |
| Date |
11/10/09 |
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Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) HST I
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| Name |
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) HST Image |
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Swirling Galaxy Parents Gene
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| Title |
Swirling Galaxy Parents Generations of Stars in Its Center |
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Hubble Reveals the Heart of
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| Title |
Hubble Reveals the Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy |
| 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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Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble
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| Title |
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope! |
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Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
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| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniv
…
| Title |
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ] |
|
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star
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| Title |
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova |
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Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star
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| Title |
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova |
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Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star
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| Title |
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova |
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Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star
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| Title |
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova |
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescop
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| Title |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Uncovers a Starburst Galaxy |
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescop
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| Title |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Uncovers a Starburst Galaxy |
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescop
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| Title |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Resolves a Dark "x" Across the Nucleus of M51 |
| General Information |
What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided astronomers with what may be their first direct view of an immense ring of dust which fuels a massive black hole at the heart of the spiral galaxy M51, located 20 million light-years away. Surprisingly, they found that the ring is standing almost perpendicularly to the relatively flat spiral galaxy, like a top spinning on its side with respect to the floor. Even more surprising is the discovery of a secondary ring or dust lane which is contrary to all expectations. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1992/17/text/ ] |
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Merger of Two White Dwarf St
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| Title |
Merger of Two White Dwarf Stars |
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescop
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| Title |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Resolves a Dark "x" Across the Nucleus of M51 |
| General Information |
What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided astronomers with what may be their first direct view of an immense ring of dust which fuels a massive black hole at the heart of the spiral galaxy M51, located 20 million light-years away. Surprisingly, they found that the ring is standing almost perpendicularly to the relatively flat spiral galaxy, like a top spinning on its side with respect to the floor. Even more surprising is the discovery of a secondary ring or dust lane which is contrary to all expectations. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1992/17/text/ ] |
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Hubble Observes the Supernov
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| Title |
Hubble Observes the Supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy |
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M51: The Center Of The Whirl
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| Title |
M51: The Center Of The Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
In the center of M51 [ http://hubble.stsci.edu/news_.and._views/pr.cgi?1996+17 ], a spiral galaxy 23 million light-years away, astronomers have identified a dense region of young stars. Viewed face-on in the constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/cvn.html ], the swirling arcs of this galaxy's spiral arms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980314.html ] have inspired its popular name, The Whirlpool Galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ]. This 1996 Hubble Space Telescope image of its nucleus [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1996/17.html ] reveals the light from millions of stars, perhaps one tenth the age of the Sun, packed into the bright central region. A mere 80 light-years across, this area is so crowded with stars that the view from a hypothetical [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990327.html ] planet orbiting one of these distant suns would be of a continuously bright sky! The dark "Y" shape visible within this region is an indication that lanes of dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000511.html ] are present, partially blocking the intense starlight. |
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M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
| Title |
M51: Cosmic Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might [ http://www.astronomyforum.net/ forum.html?db=&topic_number=253&lastpost=2005-04-0516:54:50 ] find this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_rosse.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ]. |
|
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in
…
| Title |
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars |
| Explanation |
The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/manual.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/infrared.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/cvn.html ]. M51 is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/supplemental.html ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this image. |
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M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
| Title |
M51: Cosmic Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might find [ http://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/constellations/ canesvenatici.html ] this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030925.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ]. |
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A Supernova in the Whirlpool
| Title |
A Supernova in the Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
In 1994, a new star in a distant galaxy was seen by amateur astronomers [ http://www.aavso.org/heavy/index.html ], who alerted the world to their discovery of a supernova [ http://legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html ]. Near the nucleus of spiral galaxy M51 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951218.html ], popularly known as the Whirlpool, this supernova (1994I) is identified as the bright spot indicated by the arrow in the lower left of this Hubble Space Telescope image [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/94/20.html ]. Supernovae are violent death explosions of stars that eject radioactive debri clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951029.html ]. They are often discovered by amateur observers dedicated to systematic searches of the sky [ http://www.aavso.org/heavy/newsletter-15/evans.html ] and are of intense interest to astronomers [ http://cssa.stanford.edu/~marcos/sne.html ] who hope to learn what kind of stars generate these explosions and what chemical elements are produced and mixed into space. Distances to these these intrinsically bright events can also be determined, providing crucial yardsticks for measuring the Scale of the Universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/debate_1996.html ]. |
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In the Center of the Whirlpo
…
| Title |
In the Center of the Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
In the center of M51 [ http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/17/A.html ], a spiral galaxy 23 million light-years away, astronomers have identified a dense region of young stars. The graceful swirling arcs of this galaxy's spiral arms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960409.html ] have inspired its popular name, "The Whirlpool Galaxy" [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951218.html ]. This Hubble Space Telescope image of its nucleus reveals the light from millions of stars, perhaps one tenth the age of the Sun, packed into the bright central region. This area is a mere 80 light-years across -- the stars are so crowded here that the view from a hypothetical planet orbiting one of these distant suns would be of a continuously bright sky! The dark "Y" shape visible within this region is an indication that lanes of dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951109.html ] are present, partially blocking the intense starlight. |
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Tomorrow's picture: M51: The
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| Title |
Tomorrow's picture: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970125.html ] |
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M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in
…
| Title |
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars |
| Explanation |
The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/manual.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/what_is_ir.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=13 ]. M51 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020710.html ] is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/supplemental.html ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this digitally sharpened image. |
|
M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
| Title |
M51: Cosmic Whirlpool |
| Explanation |
Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Ursa_Major.html ] bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might [ http://www.astronomyforum.net/ forum.html?db=&topic_number=253&lastpost=2005-04-0516:54:50 ] find this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_rosse.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ]. |
|
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in
…
| Title |
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars |
| Explanation |
The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2001/10/image/a ] image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/index.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/what_is_ir.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=13 ]. M51 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050428.html ] is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this digitally sharpened image. |
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![Tomorrow's picture: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970125.html ]](http://mm04.nasaimages.org/MediaManager/srvr?mediafile=/Size1/NVA2-4-NA/8161/sn1987ares_hst_big.jpg&userid=1&username=admin&resolution=1&servertype=JVA&cid=4&iid=NVA2&vcid=NA&usergroup=NASA_Astronomy_Picture_of_the_Day_Collecti-4-Admin&profileid=16)
