SPIRE spectrum of Arp 220

Nhsc_nhsc2009-021e_1024

nhsc_nhsc2009-021e November 27th, 2009

Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech

This is one of the early spectra obtained with the SPIRE fourier transform spectrometer on Herschel. Shown here is spectrum of Arp 220, a galaxy 250 million light years distant from Earth with very active star formation triggered by a merger between two large spiral galaxies (like the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy).

Arp 220 is an important template for understanding even more distant galaxies and galaxy formation in the early universe. This SPIRE spectrum shows many emission features of carbon monoxide (CO), and water (H2O) features are seen both in emission and absorption.

The inset is an optical image of Arp 220 made with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Previous infrared space missions discovered that collisions and mergers of gas-rich galaxies glow with the luminosity of a quasar. The far-infrared luminosity of these dust-shrouded mergers, known as Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs), is caused by extremely energetic starbursts, producing hundreds of new stars every year, as well as by accreting super-massive black holes in their active nuclei.

This SPIRE FTS observation was carried out as part of the performance verification of the observatory. The scientific rights of this observation are owned by the Nearby Galaxies Key Programme consortia, led by C. Wilson.

Provider: Herschel Space Observatory

Image Source: https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2009-021e

Curator: NASA Herschel Science Center, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/

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Image Details

Image Type
Chart
Object Name
Arp 220
Subject - Milky Way
Galaxy > Type > Interacting

Distance

Universescale3
250,000,000 light years
Nhsc_nhsc2009-021e_1280
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ID
nhsc2009-021e
Subject Category
B.5.1.7  
Subject Name
Arp 220
Credits
ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech
Release Date
2009-11-27
Lightyears
250,000,000
Redshift
0.018126
Reference Url
https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2009-021e
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NASA Herschel Science Center
URL
http://www.herschel.caltech.edu/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
Publisher ID
nhsc
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-06-21T00:14:38Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
250,000,000 light years

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