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Multiwavelength M81
| Title |
Multiwavelength M81 |
| Description |
This beautiful galaxy is tilted at an oblique angle on to our line of sight, giving a "birds-eye view" of the spiral structure. The galaxy is similar to our Milky Way, but our favorable view provides a better picture of the typical architecture of spiral galaxies. M81 may be undergoing a surge of star formation along the spiral arms due to a close encounter it may have had with its nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3077 and a nearby starburst galaxy (M82) about 300 million years ago. M81 is one of the brightest galaxies that can be seen from the Earth. It is high in the northern sky in the circumpolar constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. At an apparent magnitude of 6.8 it is just at the limit of naked-eye visibility. The galaxy's angular size is about the same as that of the Full Moon. This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometers). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
This 22-second animation uses an "infrared spotlight" to highlight differences between a visible-light image of Messier 81 and the Spitzer/MIPS+IRAC infrared view. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent and dusty spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in these NASA Spitzer Space Telescope images. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The three-panel mosaic is a series of images obtained with the multiband imaging photometer. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns (top), 70 microns (center) and 160 microns (bottom) is shown in the images. Note that the effective spatial resolution degrades as ones moves to longer wavelengths. At these wavelengths, Spitzer sees the dust, rather than the stars, within the disc of silicates and carbonaceous grains. It is well-mixed with gas, which is best seen at radio wavelengths, to form the essential ingredients for future star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained with a ground-based telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Messier 81
| Title |
Messier 81 |
| Description |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. Because of its proximity, M81 provides astronomers with an enticing opportunity to study the anatomy of a spiral galaxy in detail. The unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity of Spitzer at infrared wavelengths show a clear separation between the several key constituents of the galaxy: the old stars, the interstellar dust heated by star formation activity, and the embedded sites of massive star formation. The infrared images also permit quantitative measurements of the galaxy's overall dust content, as well as the rate at which new stars are being formed. The infrared image was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (yellow) and 8.0 microns (red). Winding outward from the bluish-white central bulge of the galaxy, where old stars predominate and there is little dust, the grand spiral arms are dominated by infrared emission from dust. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from the surrounding stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles, composed of silicates (which are chemically similar to beach sand) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms denote where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. The 8-micron emission traces the regions of active star formation in the galaxy. Studying the locations of these regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. With the Spitzer observations, this information comes to us without complications from absorption by cold dust in the galaxy, which makes interpretation of visible-light features uncertain. The white stars scattered throughout the field of view are foreground stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. |
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Lifting the Cosmic Veil
| Title |
Lifting the Cosmic Veil |
| Description |
The first images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, the fourth element of NASA's Great Observatories program. |
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Hubble Spies Huge Clusters o
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| Title |
Hubble Spies Huge Clusters of Stars Formed by Ancient Encounter |
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Hubble Spies Huge Clusters o
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| Title |
Hubble Spies Huge Clusters of Stars Formed by Ancient Encounter |
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Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble
…
| Title |
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope! |
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Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble
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| Title |
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope! |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
|
Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
|
Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
|
Hubble Photographs Grand Des
…
| Title |
Hubble Photographs Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M81 |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. The sharpest image ever taken of the large "grand design" spiral galaxy M81 is being released today at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. A spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds, the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. Though the galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away, the Hubble Space Telescope's view is so sharp that it can resolve individual stars, along with open star clusters, globular star clusters, and even glowing regions of fluorescent gas. The Hubble data was taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 through 2006. This color composite was assembled from images taken in blue, visible, and infrared light. |
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Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
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Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
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Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
|
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
|
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
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Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble
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| Title |
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope! |
|
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blob
…
| Title |
Hubble Finds that "Blue Blobs" in Space Are Orphaned Clusters of Stars |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. Hubble Space Telescope's powerful vision has resolved strange objects nicknamed "blue blobs" and found them to be brilliant blue clusters of stars born in the swirls and eddies of a galactic smashup 200 million years ago. Such "blue blobs"—, weighing tens of thousands of solar masses —, have never been seen in detail before in such sparse locations, say researchers. The "blue blobs" are found along a wispy bridge of gas strung among three colliding galaxies, M81, M82, and NGC 3077, residing about 12 million light-years away from Earth. This is not the place astronomers expect to find star clusters, because the gas filaments were considered too thin to accumulate enough material to actually build these many stars. The star clusters in this diffuse structure might have formed from gas collisions and subsequent turbulence, which enhanced locally the density of the gas streams. Galaxy collisions were much more frequent in the early universe, so "blue blobs" should have been common. After the stars burned out or exploded, the heavier elements forged in their nuclear furnaces would have been ejected to enrich intergalactic space. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/02/full/ ] |
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Smoke from the Cigar Galaxy
| Title |
Smoke from the Cigar Galaxy |
| Explanation |
Very bright in infrared light [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ ir_yellowstone/ ], well-known starburst galaxy M82's popular name describes its suggestive shape seen at visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961118.html ] wavelengths - The Cigar Galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ]. Ironically, M82's fantastic appearance in this Spitzer Space Telescope image [ http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ ssc2006-09/release.shtml ] really is due to cosmic "smoke" - the infrared emission of exented dust features blown by stellar winds from M82's luminous, central star forming regions. The false-color view highlights a component of dust emission from complex carbon molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ] or PAHs. PAHs are also seen in star forming regions throughout our own, much calmer, Milky Way Galaxy and are products of combustion on planet Earth [ http://web99.arc.nasa.gov/~astrochm/ PAHs.html ]. Likely triggered by interactions with nearby galaxy M81, M82's intense [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041230.html ] star formation activity appears to be blowing out immense clouds of dust and PAHs extending nearly 20,000 light-years both above and below the galactic plane. M82 is [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M82text.html ] about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. |
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M82: Galaxy with a Supergala
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| Title |
M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind |
| Explanation |
What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ], as this irregular galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/irre.html ] is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060415.html ] near large spiral [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] galaxy M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020620.html ]. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas, however. Recent evidence [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1999ApJ...523..575L ] indicates that this gas is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wsolwind.html ] of many stars, together creating a galactic "superwind." The above photographic mosaic [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/14/image/a ], released yesterday to commemorate the sixteenth anniversary [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/14/ ] of the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010806.html ], highlights a specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen ] gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light year [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/question94.htm ]s. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040601.html ] is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/ ] light, and can be seen in visible light with a small telescope [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/telescope.htm ] towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Ursa Major [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=83 ]. |
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A Superwind from the Cigar G
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| Title |
A Superwind from the Cigar Galaxy |
| Explanation |
What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ], as this irregular galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/irre.html ] is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000209.html ] near large spiral [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] galaxy M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970726.html ]. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas, however. Recent evidence [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1999ApJ...523..575L ] indicates that this gas is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wsolwind.html ] of many stars, together creating a galactic "superwind." The above recently released photograph [ http://www.subaru.naoj.org/Science/press_release/0003/M82.html ] from the new Subaru Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990201.html ] highlights the specific color of red light [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/light/absorption.html ] strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light year [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/question94.htm ]s. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980315.html ] is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared [ http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/newton/infrared.html ] light, and can be seen in visible light with a small telescope towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Ursa Major [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/uma.html ]. |
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Bright Galaxy M81
| Title |
Bright Galaxy M81 |
| Explanation |
Big and beautiful spiral galaxy M81 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m081.html ] lies in the northern constellation Ursa Major [ http://www.dibonsmith.com/uma_con.htm ]. One of the brightest galaxies in planet Earth's sky, M81 is also home to the second brightest supernova seen [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050910.html ] in modern times. This superbly detailed view [ http://www.astrogb.com/m81.htm ] reveals M81's bright yellow nucleus, blue spiral arms, and sweeping cosmic dust lanes with a scale comparable to the Milky Way [ http://cassfos02.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/MW.html ]. Hinting at a disorderly past, a remarkable dust lane actually runs straight through the disk, below and right of the galactic center, contrary to M81's other [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/gifimages/m81series2.html ] prominent spiral [ http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr222/Galaxies/Spiral/ spiral.html ] features. The errant dust lane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010112.html ] may be the lingering result of a close encounter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060415.html ] between M81 and its smaller companion galaxy, M82 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060425.html ]. Scrutiny of variable stars in M81 (aka NGC 3031) has yielded one of the best determined distances [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/H0kp/m81/m81.html ] for an external galaxy -- 11.8 million light-years. |
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M81 in Ursa Major
| Title |
M81 in Ursa Major |
| Explanation |
One of the brightest galaxies in planet Earth's sky and similar in size to the Milky Way [ http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html ], big, beautiful spiral M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060707.html ] lies 11.8 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major. This remarkably deep image [ http://astrophoto.com/M81LRGBDEEP.htm ] of the region reveals details in the bright yellow core, but at the same time follows fainter features along the galaxy's gorgeous blue spiral arms and sweeping dust lanes. Above M81 lies a dwarf companion galaxy, Holmberg IX [ http://seds.org/MESSIER/more/m081_hom9.html ], sporting a large, pinkish star-forming [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061123.html ] region near the top. While M81 [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu//cosmic_classroom/ multiwavelength_astronomy/multiwavelength_museum/m81.html ] and Holmberg IX are seen through a foreground of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy, they are also seen here through a much fainter complex of dust clouds. The relatively unexplored clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050929.html ] are likely only some hundreds of light-years distant and lie high above our galaxy's plane. Scattered through the image, especially at the the right, the dust clouds reflect the combined light of the Milky Way's stars and have been dubbed integrated flux nebulae [ http://www.galaxyimages.com/UNP_IFNebula.html ]. |
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Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 in
…
| Title |
Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 in Ultraviolet from Galex |
| Explanation |
Where are the hot stars in M81, one of the closest major spiral galaxies? To help find out, astronomers took a deep image in ultraviolet light [ http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html ] of the sprawling spiral with the Earth-orbiting Galex telescope [ http://www.galex.caltech.edu/TECHNOLOGY/technology.html ]. Hot stars emit more ultraviolet than cool stars, and are frequently associated with young open clusters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060501.html ] of stars and energetic star forming regions [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070430.html ]. Magnificent spiral galaxy [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/galaxies/spiral.html ] M81, slightly smaller in size to our own Milky Way Galaxy [ http://cassfos02.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/MW.html ], shows off its young stars in its winding spiral arms in the above image [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/image-galex-20070501.html ]. Less than 100 million years old, the young stars are blue in the above false-color Galex image [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/image-galex-20070501.html ] and seen to be well separated from the older yellowish stars of the galactic core. Visible above M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070427.html ] is a satellite galaxy dubbed Holmberg IX [ http://ftp.seds.org/Messier/more/m081_hom9.html ]. Studying the unexpectedly bright ultraviolet glow of this small irregular galaxy [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregular_galaxies ] may help astronomers understand how the many satellites [ http://www.astro.uu.se/~ns/mwsat.html ] of our own Milky Way Galaxy developed. M81 [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/m/m081.html ], visible through a small telescope, spans about 70,000 light years [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html ] and lies about 12 million light years away toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of the Great Bear (Ursa Major [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Ursa_Major.html ]). |
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M82 After the Crash
| Title |
M82 After the Crash |
| Explanation |
When did the Cigar Galaxy light up? Evidence indicates "how" M82, the Cigar Galaxy [ http://apod.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?M82 ], became so bright and peculiar: it collided [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000209.html ] with neighboring galaxy M81 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m081.html ]. Astronomers become detectives, however, when trying to figure out "when" this collision occurred. Inspection of this [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/08/index.html ] and other Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] images now indicate massive young [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010311.html ] globular star clusters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/globular_clusters.html ] were formed during the encounter. Stars in these clusters that are 600 million years old are just now exhausting [ http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/space/stellardeath/stellardeath_intro.html ] their central hydrogen [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010113.html ] fuel, indicating [ http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/astro-ph/0010046 ] that the Cigar Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000404.html ]'s brightening occurred just that long ago. M82 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ] is located about 12 million light years [ http://www.treasure-troves.com/astro/Light-Year.html ] away and visible [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/08/fastfacts.html ] with binoculars [ http://www.skypub.com/tips/binoculars/halfway.html ] towards the constellation [ http://www.starshine.com/frankn/Constellations.asp ] of Ursa Major [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Ursa_Major.html ]. The star-field shown above [ http://hubble.esa.int/hubble/news/index.cfm?aid=31&cid=630&oid=26349 ] spans about 10,000 light years. |
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Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 fro
…
| Title |
Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 from Hubble |
| Explanation |
The Hubble Space Telescope has resolved individual stars in a spectacular new image of nearby spiral galaxy M81. The feat is similar to Edwin Hubble [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Hubble ]'s historic images with the Mt. Wilson 100-inch Hooker Telescope [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wilson_Observatory#100_inch_.282.5_m.29_Hooker_telescope ] in the 1920s that resolved stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960406.html ] in neighboring galaxy M31 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061126.html ]. Edwin Hubble [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960217.html ] was able to use individual Cepheid variable stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960110.html ] to show that M31 was not nearby swirling gas but rather an entire galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/debate20.html ] like our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050825.html ]. This above image [ http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/press/2007/pr200716_images.html ] in visible light [ http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/visible.html ] taken by the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/HST_overview/ ] is being used in conjunction with images [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070515.html ] being taken in ultraviolet [ http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html ] by Galex [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GALEX ], infrared by Spitzer [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitzer_Space_Telescope ], and X-rays [ http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/xrays.html ] with Chandra [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandra_X-ray_Observatory ] to study how stars have formed and died over the history M81. Light takes about 12 million years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] to reach us from M81. M81 [ http://seds.org/messier/m/m081.html ] is visible with binoculars toward the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=83 ]). |
|
Bright Galaxy M81
| Title |
Bright Galaxy M81 |
| Explanation |
Big and beautiful spiral galaxy M81 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m081.html ], in the northern constellation Ursa Major [ http://www.dibonsmith.com/uma_con.htm ], is one of the brightest galaxies [ http://www.anzwers.org/free/universe/galax200.html ] visible in the skies of [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020119.html ] planet Earth. This superbly detailed view [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M81.html ] reveals its bright nucleus, grand spiral arms and sweeping cosmic dust lanes with a scale comparable to the Milky Way [ http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/mway/ ]. Hinting at a disorderly past, a remarkable dust lane runs straight through the disk, below and right of the galactic center, contrary to M81's other [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/gifimages/m81series2.html ] prominent spiral [ http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr222/Galaxies/Spiral/ spiral.html ] features. The errant dust lane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010112.html ] may be the lingering result of a close encounter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000209.html ] between M81 and its smaller companion galaxy, M82 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000404.html ]. Scrutiny of variable stars in M81 (aka NGC 3031) has yielded one of the best determined distances [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/H0kp/m81/m81.html ] for an external galaxy -- 11.8 million light-years. |
|
A Superwind from the Cigar G
…
| Title |
A Superwind from the Cigar Galaxy |
| Explanation |
What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ], as this irregular galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/irre.html ] is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000209.html ] near large spiral [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] galaxy M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020620.html ]. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas, however. Recent evidence [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1999ApJ...523..575L ] indicates that this gas is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wsolwind.html ] of many stars, together creating a galactic "superwind." The above recently released photograph [ http://www.subaru.naoj.org/Science/press_release/0003/M82.html ] from the new Subaru Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990201.html ] highlights the specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light year [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/question94.htm ]s. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010312.html ] is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/ ] light, and can be seen in visible light with a small telescope [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/telescope.htm ] towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Ursa Major [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/uma.html ]. |
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M81 and M82: GALEX Full Fiel
…
| Title |
M81 and M82: GALEX Full Field |
| Explanation |
Intriguing galaxy pair M81 and M82 shine in this full-field view [ http://www.galex.caltech.edu/ imagegallery.html#GAL ] from the orbiting GALEX observatory. GALEX - the Galaxy Evolution Explorer [ http://www.galex.caltech.edu/ ] - scans the cosmos in ultraviolet light [ http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/uv.html ], a view that follows star formation and galaxy evolution [ http://www.stsci.edu/science/starburst/ ] through the Universe [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/ news.cfm?release=2004-294 ]. Near the bottom, magnificent spiral galaxy M81 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020620.html ], similar in size to our own Milky Way, shows off young stars in winding spiral arms. Less than 100 million years old, the young stars are blue in the false-color GALEX image and seen to be well separated from the older yellowish stars of the galactic core. But near the top, turbulent, irregular galaxy M82 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m082.html ] shows the results of extreme rates of star birth and death. Supernovae, the death explosions of massive stars, contribute to a violent wind of material expelled from M82's central [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040601.html ] regions. The striking [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000209.html ] irregular and spiral galaxy pair are located only about 10 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/ Constellations/circumpolar/ursa_major.html ]. |
|
Galaxy M82
| Title |
Galaxy M82 |
| Description |
A colorful image showing violent star formation triggered when two galaxies bumped into each other has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In the image, the starburst galaxy M82 has a disturbed appearance caused by violent activity after an ancient encounter with its large galactic neighbor, M81. The image, taken by Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, designed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/wfpc . The huge lanes of dust that crisscross M82's disk are another telltale sign of the flurry of star formation. Below the center and to the right, a strong galactic wind is spewing knotty filaments of hydrogen and nitrogen gas. More than 100 super star clusters -- very bright, compact groupings of about 100,000 stars -- appear as white dots sprinkled throughout the galaxy's central area. The dark area just above center is a huge dust cloud. A collaboration of European and American scientists used these clusters to date the interaction between M82 and M81 to about 600 million years ago, when a region called M82 B (the bright area just below and to the left of the central dust cloud) exploded with new stars. Scientists have found that this ancient starburst was triggered by the encounter with M81. The results are published in the February 2001 issue of the Astronomical Journal. This discovery provides evidence linking the birth of super star clusters to violent interaction between galaxies. These clusters also provide insight into the rough-and-tumble universe of long ago, when galaxies bumped into each other more frequently. M82 is located 12 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. The picture was taken Sept. 15, 1997. The natural-color composite was constructed from three exposures taken with blue, green and red filters. The Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md., manages space operations for the Hubble Space Telescope for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc., for NASA under contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Additional information about the Hubble Space Telescope is available at http://www.stsci.edu . More information about the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 is available at http://wfpc2.jpl.nasa.gov. |
| Date |
12.02.1999 |
|
Galaxy Mission Completes Fou
…
PIA09337
GALEX Telescope
| Title |
Galaxy Mission Completes Four Star-Studded Years in Space |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer is celebrating its fourth year in space with some of M81's "hottest" stars. In a new ultraviolet image, the magnificent M81 spiral galaxy is shown at the center. The orbiting observatory spies the galaxy's "sizzling young starlets" as wisps of bluish-white swirling around a central golden glow. The tints of gold at M81's center come from a "senior citizen" population of smoldering stars. "This is a spectacular view of M81," says Dr. John Huchra, of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass. "When we proposed to observe this galaxy with GALEX we hoped to see globular clusters, open clusters, and young stars...this view is everything that we were hoping for." The image is one of thousands gathered so far by GALEX, which launched April 28, 2003. This mission uses ultraviolet wavelengths to measure the history of star formation 80 percent of the way back to the Big Bang. The large fluffy bluish-white material to the left of M81 is a neighboring galaxy called Holmberg IX. This galaxy is practically invisible to the naked human eye. However, it is illuminated brilliantly in GALEX's wide ultraviolet eyes. Its ultraviolet colors show that it is actively forming young stars. The bluish-white fuzz in the space surrounding M81 and Holmberg IX is new star formation triggered by gravitational interactions between the two galaxies. Huchra notes that the active star formation in Holmberg IX is a surprise, and says that more research needs to be done in light of the new findings from GALEX. "Some astronomers suspect that the galaxy Holmberg IX is the result of a galactic interaction between M81 and another neighboring galaxy M82," says Huchra. "This particular galaxy is especially important because there are a lot of galaxies like Holmberg IX around our Milky Way galaxy. By understanding how Holmberg IX came to be, we hope to understand how all the little galaxies surrounding the Milky Way developed.""Four years after GALEX's launch, the spacecraft is performing magnificently. The mission results have been simply amazing as it helps us to unlock the secrets of galaxies, the building blocks of our universe," says Kerry Erickson, GALEX project manager. M81 and Holberg IX are located approximately 12 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major. In addition to leading the GALEX observations of M81, Huchra and his team also took observations of the region with NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. By combining all these views of M81, Huchra hopes to gain a better understanding about how M81 has developed into the spiral galaxy we see today. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., leads the Galaxy Evolution Explorer mission and is responsible for science operations and data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in Pasadena, manages the mission and built the science instrument. The mission was developed under NASA's Explorers Program, managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Researchers from South Korea and France collaborated on this mission. |
|
Galaxy M82
PIA04218
Wide Field Planetary Camera
…
| Title |
Galaxy M82 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A colorful image showing violent star formation triggered when two galaxies bumped into each other has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In the image, the starburst galaxy M82 has a disturbed appearance caused by violent activity after an ancient encounter with its large galactic neighbor, M81. The image, taken by Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, designed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/wfpc . The huge lanes of dust that crisscross M82's disk are another telltale sign of the flurry of star formation. Below the center and to the right, a strong galactic wind is spewing knotty filaments of hydrogen and nitrogen gas. More than 100 super star clusters -- very bright, compact groupings of about 100,000 stars -- appear as white dots sprinkled throughout the galaxy's central area. The dark area just above center is a huge dust cloud. A collaboration of European and American scientists used these clusters to date the interaction between M82 and M81 to about 600 million years ago, when a region called M82 B (the bright area just below and to the left of the central dust cloud) exploded with new stars. Scientists have found that this ancient starburst was triggered by the encounter with M81. The results are published in the February 2001 issue of the Astronomical Journal. This discovery provides evidence linking the birth of super star clusters to violent interaction between galaxies. These clusters also provide insight into the rough-and-tumble universe of long ago, when galaxies bumped into each other more frequently. M82 is located 12 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. The picture was taken Sept. 15, 1997. The natural-color composite was constructed from three exposures taken with blue, green and red filters. The Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md., manages space operations for the Hubble Space Telescope for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc., for NASA under contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Additional information about the Hubble Space Telescope is available at http://www.stsci.edu . More information about the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 is available at http://wfpc2.jpl.nasa.gov. |
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M81 Galaxy is Pretty in Pink
PIA09579
GALEX Telescope, Infrared Ar
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| Title |
M81 Galaxy is Pretty in Pink |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The perfectly picturesque spiral galaxy known as Messier 81, or M81, looks sharp in this new composite from NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. M81 is a "grand design" spiral galaxy, which means its elegant arms curl all the way down into its center. It is located about 12 million light-years away in the Ursa Major constellation and is one of the brightest galaxies that can be seen from Earth through telescopes. The colors in this picture represent a trio of light wavelengths: blue is ultraviolet light captured by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, yellowish white is visible light seen by Hubble, and red is infrared light detected by Spitzer. The blue areas show the hottest, youngest stars, while the reddish-pink denotes lanes of dust that line the spiral arms. The orange center is made up of older stars. |
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Long-Wavelength Infrared Vie
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PIA04938
Multiband Imaging Photometer
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| Title |
Long-Wavelength Infrared Views of Messier 81 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The magnificent and dusty spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in these NASA Spitzer Space Telescope images. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The three-panel mosaic is a series of images obtained with the multiband imaging photometer for Spitzer. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns (top), 70 microns (center) and 160 microns (bottom) is shown in the images. Note that the effective spatial resolution degrades as ones moves to longer wavelengths. At these wavelengths, Spitzer sees the dust, rather than the stars, within the disc of silicates and carbonaceous grains. It is well-mixed with gas, which is best seen at radio wavelengths, to form the essential ingredients for future star formation. |
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Short-Wavelength Infrared Vi
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PIA04936
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
| Title |
Short-Wavelength Infrared Views of Messier 81 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years from Earth. Because of its proximity, M81 provides astronomers with an enticing opportunity to study the anatomy of a spiral galaxy in detail. The unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity of Spitzer at infrared wavelengths show a clear separation between the several key constituents of the galaxy: the old stars, the interstellar dust heated by star formation activity, and the embedded sites of massive star formation. The infrared images also permit quantitative measurements of the galaxy's overall dust content, as well as the rate at which new stars are being formed. The infrared image was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (yellow) and 8.0 microns (red). Winding outward from the bluish-white central bulge of the galaxy, where old stars predominate and there is little dust, the grand spiral arms are dominated by infrared emission from dust. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from the surrounding stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles, composed of silicates (which are chemically similar to beach sand) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms denote where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. The 8-micron emission traces the regions of active star formation in the galaxy. Studying the locations of these regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. With the Spitzer observations, this information comes to us without complications from absorption by cold dust in the galaxy, which makes interpretation of visible-light features uncertain. The white stars scattered throughout the field of view are foreground stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. |
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Multi-Wavelength Views of Me
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PIA04937
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
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| Title |
Multi-Wavelength Views of Messier 81 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on individual images below for larger view The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer for Spitzer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a ground-based telescope, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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Multi-Wavelength Views of Me
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PIA04937
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
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| Title |
Multi-Wavelength Views of Messier 81 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on individual images below for larger view The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major (which also includes the Big Dipper), this galaxy is easily visible through binoculars or a small telescope. M81 is located at a distance of 12 million light-years. The main image is a composite mosaic obtained with the multiband imaging photometer for Spitzer and the infrared array camera. Thermal infrared emission at 24 microns detected by the photometer (red, bottom left inset) is combined with camera data at 8.0 microns (green, bottom center inset) and 3.6 microns (blue, bottom right inset). A visible-light image of Messier 81, obtained at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a ground-based telescope, is shown in the upper right inset. Both the visible-light picture and the 3.6-micron near-infrared image trace the distribution of stars, although the Spitzer image is virtually unaffected by obscuring dust. Both images reveal a very smooth stellar mass distribution, with the spiral arms relatively subdued. As one moves to longer wavelengths, the spiral arms become the dominant feature of the galaxy. The 8-micron emission is dominated by infrared light radiated by hot dust that has been heated by nearby luminous stars. Dust in the galaxy is bathed by ultraviolet and visible light from nearby stars. Upon absorbing an ultraviolet or visible-light photon, a dust grain is heated and re-emits the energy at longer infrared wavelengths. The dust particles are composed of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand), carbonaceous grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace the gas distribution in the galaxy. The well-mixed gas (which is best detected at radio wavelengths) and dust provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. The 24-micron multiband imaging photometer image shows emission from warm dust heated by the most luminous young stars. The infrared-bright clumpy knots within the spiral arms show where massive stars are being born in giant H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Studying the locations of these star forming regions with respect to the overall mass distribution and other constituents of the galaxy (e.g., gas) will help identify the conditions and processes needed for star formation. |
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