Multiwavelength Whirpool

Nrao_nrao_gallery018_1024

nrao_NRAO_Gallery018  

Credit: B. Saxton, (NRAO/AUI/NSF) from data provided by J. Hibbard

In this composite image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, the Very Large Array has captured the vastness of this colliding pair like no other telescope can. In white is how the galaxies appear to optical telescopes: one giant spiral galaxy with a smaller one hanging off an arm. The VLA sees a much bigger picture. Colored blue are the cast-off gases that were once the outer spiral arms of these galaxies. In red are the areas where new stars are being born.

Provider: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Image Source: https://public.nrao.edu/gallery/multiwavelength-whirpool/

Curator: NRAO/AUI/NSF, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Whirlpool Galaxy Messier 51a M51a NGC 5194
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Interacting

Distance

Universescale2
23,160,000 light years
Nrao_nrao_gallery018_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 13h 29m 52.7s
DEC = 47° 11’ 42.9”
Orientation
North is 0.1° CCW
Field of View
33.0 x 33.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Canes Venatici

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red VLA Radio (C) 61.7 mm
Blue VLA Radio (L) 204.8 mm
Blue Hubble Optical (B) 431.74038 nm
Spectrum_ir2
Red
Blue
Blue
Nrao_nrao_gallery018_1280
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ID
NRAO_Gallery018
Subject Category
C.5.1.7  
Subject Name
Whirlpool Galaxy, Messier 51a, M51a, NGC 5194
Credits
B. Saxton, (NRAO/AUI/NSF) from data provided by J. Hibbard
Release Date
Lightyears
23.16E+06
Redshift
23.16E+06
Reference Url
https://public.nrao.edu/gallery/multiwavelength-whirpool/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
VLA, VLA, HST
Instrument
Color Assignment
Red, Blue, Blue
Band
Radio, Radio, Optical
Bandpass
C, L, B
Central Wavelength
6.172E+07, 2.0479E+08, 431.74038
Start Time
1991-03-01T00:00:00-05:00, 1992-03-29, 2005-01-20T21:51:18-05:00
Integration Time
-, -, 16320.0
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
202.46957500000, 47.19525800000
Reference Dimension
3000, 3000
Reference Pixel
1502.90178808845, 1480.84625503798
Scale
-0.00018324588, 0.00018324588
Rotation
0.06050634031
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.2 revision 218+ by the Chandra X-ray Center
Creator (Curator)
NRAO/AUI/NSF
URL
https://public.nrao.edu
Name
NRAO/AUI/NSF
Email
outreach@nrao.edu
Telephone
Address
520 Edgemont Road
City
Charlottesville
State/Province
Virginia
Publisher
NRAO/AUI/NSF
Publisher ID
nrao
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-04-12T19:13:32+00:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
23,160,000 light years

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