Crimson Light Rushing out from a Galaxy
Astrophotography・
| Object | M82 (NCG 3034) |
|---|---|
| Telescope | The Subaru Telescope |
| Instrument | FOCAS (Faint Object Camera And Spectrograph) |
| Wavelengths | Blue (0.45 μm), Green (0.55 μm), Red (0.65 μm) |
| Exposure | Blue (30 seconds x2), Green (25 seconds x2), Red (120 seconds x2) |
| Date | February 2, 2000 |
| Observer | FOCAS Development Team |
| Copyright | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
The irregular galaxy M82 was photographed by FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope. The bluish light stretching from the upper left to the lower right shows the distribution of stars. The red light extending perpendicular to the galaxy is from ionized gas spewing out from vigorous star-formation activity occurring in the center of the galaxy. This kind of phenomenon, which expels gas from the galaxy, is thought to play a large role in galaxy evolution. Intense research to elucidate the details of these phenomena continues to this day.
Text by: Takashi Hattori (Subaru Telescope)
Translation by: Ramsey Lundock (NAOJ)