Waspie_Dwarf Posted December 11, 2007 #1 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Whirlpool Galaxy (M51): A Classic Beauty Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/Wesleyan Univ./R.Kilgard); UV (NASA/JPLCaltech); optical (NASA/eSA/S. Beckwith & Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)); IR (NASA/JPLCaltech/ Univ. of AZ/R. Kennicutt) M51, whose name comes from being the 51st entry in Charles Messier's catalog, is considered to be one of the classic examples of a spiral galaxy. At a distance of about 30 million light years from Earth, it is also one of the brightest spirals in the night sky. A composite image of M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, shows the majesty of its structure in a dramatic new way through several of NASA's orbiting observatories. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals point-like sources (purple) that are black holes and neutron stars in binary star systems. Chandra also detects a diffuse glow of hot gas that permeates the space between the stars. Optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope (green) and infrared emission from the Spitzer Space Telescope (red) both highlight long lanes in the spiral arms that consist of stars and gas laced with dust. A view of M51 with the GALEX telescope shows hot, young stars that produce lots of ultraviolet energy (blue). The textbook spiral structure is thought be the result of an interaction M51 is experiencing with its close galactic neighbor, NGC 5195, which is seen just above. Some simulations suggest M51's sharp spiral shape was partially caused when NGC 5195 passed through its main disk about 500 million years ago. This gravitational tug of war may also have triggered an increased level of star formation in M51. The companion galaxy's pull would be inducing extra starbirth by compressing gas, jump-starting the process by which stars form.Fast Facts for Whirlpool Galaxy:Credit X-ray (NASA/CXC/Wesleyan Univ./R.Kilgard); UV (NASA/JPLCaltech); optical (NASA/eSA/S. Beckwith & Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)); IR (NASA/JPLCaltech/ Univ. of AZ/R. Kennicutt)Scale Image is 2.2 by 3.2 arcmin.Category Normal Galaxies & Starburst GalaxiesCoordinates (J2000) RA 13h 29m 55.7s | Dec +47° 13' 53Constellation Canes VenaticiObservation Date 06/20/2000 and 06/23/2001Observation Time 12 hoursObs. ID 354, 1622Color Code X-ray (purple); Ultraviolet (blue); Optical (green); Infrared (red)Instrument ACISDistance Estimate Galaxies are about 31 million light yearsAlso Known As NGC 5194, NGC 5195Release Date December 10, 2007Source: Chandra - Photo Album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted December 11, 2007 #2 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Beautiful pics Waspie! Everyone remember to mark Friday December 14th for stargazing as we will be privy to a meteor shower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyGTS Posted December 11, 2007 #3 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Beautiful pics Waspie! Everyone remember to mark Friday December 14th for stargazing as we will be privy to a meteor shower. lol good luck its been nothing but clouds where i am for the past 2 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted December 11, 2007 Author #4 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Everyone remember to mark Friday December 14th for stargazing as we will be privy to a meteor shower. There is more on the Geminid meteor shower HERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now