ilan
07-23-2019, 12:17 PM
Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA Release | 23 July 2019
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1907/M82_HubbleNobre_1824.jpg
M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Daniel Nobre
Why is the Cigar Galaxy billowing red smoke? M82, as this starburst galaxy is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass near large spiral galaxy M81. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas and dust, however. Evidence indicates that this gas and dust is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds of many stars, together creating a galactic superwind. The dust particles are thought to originate in M82's interstellar medium and are actually similar in size to particles in cigar smoke. The featured photographic mosaic highlights a specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas and dust. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light years. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared light, and can be seen in visible light with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).
__________________________
Billowing, energized hydrogen at its finest! - ilan
NASA Release | 23 July 2019
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1907/M82_HubbleNobre_1824.jpg
M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Daniel Nobre
Why is the Cigar Galaxy billowing red smoke? M82, as this starburst galaxy is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass near large spiral galaxy M81. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas and dust, however. Evidence indicates that this gas and dust is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds of many stars, together creating a galactic superwind. The dust particles are thought to originate in M82's interstellar medium and are actually similar in size to particles in cigar smoke. The featured photographic mosaic highlights a specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas and dust. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light years. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared light, and can be seen in visible light with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).
__________________________
Billowing, energized hydrogen at its finest! - ilan
