Starburst Galaxy NGC 1313 (5/24/10)
The starburst galaxy NGC 1313 is a stellar incubator delivering stars on a scale rarely seen in a single galaxy of its size. Now a striking new Gemini Observatory image reveals the multitudes of glowing gas clouds in this galaxy’s arms. These colorful clouds are the tell-tale sign of star-formation in this prolific star factory.
Because the clouds of gas in stellar nurseries emit light from ionized gas they shine brightly in very specific colors (or wavelengths) so narrow-band filters were used on the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope in Chile to capture the colorful galactic lightscape. The unprecedented detail and clarity of the image reveals myriad bubbles, shock fronts, star clusters, and sites where massive stars are being born.
NGC 1313 – click for 1000×747 imageMore: here
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NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 74 (11/29/07)
In the new Hubble image we can also see a smattering of bright pink regions decorating the spiral arms. These are huge, relatively short-lived, clouds of hydrogen gas which glow due to the strong radiation from hot, young stars embedded within them; glowing pink regions of ionized hydrogen (hydrogen that has lost its electrons). These regions of star formation show an excess of light at ultraviolet wavelengths and astronomers call them HII regions.
Tracing along the spiral arms are winding dust lanes that begin very near the galaxy’s nucleus and follow along the length of the spiral arms. These spiral arms are not actually static ‘arms’ like spokes on a wheel. They are in fact density waves and move around the galaxy’s disc compressing gas – just as sound waves compress the air on Earth – creating a new generation of young blue stars.
Messier 74 (NGC 628) – click for 1280×1024 image
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Exploding star in NGC 2397 (3/31/08)
The latest image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a sharp view of the spiral galaxy NGC 2397. This image also shows a rare Hubble view of the late stages of a supernova - SN 2006bc, discovered in March 2006.
NGC 2397, pictured in this image from Hubble, is a classic spiral galaxy with long prominent dust lanes along the edges of its arms, seen as dark patches and streaks silhouetted against the starlight. Hubble’s exquisite resolution allows the study of individual stars in nearby galaxies.
Located nearly 60 million light-years away from Earth, the galaxy NGC 2397 is typical of most spirals, with mostly older, yellow and red stars in its central portion, while star formation continues in the outer, bluer spiral arms. The brightest of these young, blue stars can be seen individually in this high resolution view from the Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
NGC 2397 – click for 1280×1022 image
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