From Space.com
The M51 "Whirlpool Galaxy" shines as one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the night sky.
Several NASA space observatories combined to produce this composite image. The Chandra X-ray Observatory shows purple, point-like sources that indicate black holes and neutron stars in binary star systems, and also picks up on the glow of hot gas lighting the space between the stars. The Hubble Space Telescope provides optical data in green, while the Spitzer Space Telescope sees red infrared emissions — both reflect lanes of stars, gas, and dust in the galaxy's spiral arms. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer completes the image with views of hot, young stars giving off ultraviolet energy in blue.
The spiral shape may be a result of a galactic encounter when NGC 5195 passed through M51's main disk about 500 million years ago. That gravitational tug-of-war likely triggered a new round of starbirth, as gravitational forces condensed gas and jump-started the process of star formation.
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6 comments:
Goddess, that is GORGEOUS.
flory
Isn't it?
M51 is right off the handle of the big dipper. I haven't had an astronomy class for 25 years but I'm not buying the idea that the spiral shape came from the encounter with NGC 5195. I can believe the encounter kicked off some star formation. Oh and it doesn't look like that in the backyard 'scope.
Backyard Astronomer
Doesn't look like that in my back yard either.
Doesn't look like that in my back yard either.
I keep telling you to buy the Hubble Telescope Backyard Edition, but do you lister to ur sister?
Nooooooooo.......
flory
That is way pretty! Thank you...
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