Dust in Hell

Spitzer_sig07-015_1024

spitzer_sig07-015 August 16th, 2007

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have detected dust grains mingling with blazing hot gas at temperatures of 10 million degrees Kelvin (about 10 million degrees Celsius, or 17 million degrees Fahrenheit) in an area surrounding the elliptical-shaped galaxy called NGC 5044. Scientists liken this to finding a "snowflake in hell" and suspect that a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center must have recently heated nearby cold, dusty gas through a process called "feedback heating."

In this artist's rendition, dust grains mixed with heated, outflowing gas can be seen as brown wisps to the north and south of the central yellow spot. The yellow region at the center represents a supermassive black hole in the galaxy's core that may be responsible for heating surrounding gas and dust.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2118-sig07-015-Dust-in-Hell

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
NGC 5044
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Elliptical
Galaxy > Component > Central Black Hole
Nebula

Distance

Universescale3
123,000,000 light years
Spitzer_sig07-015_1280
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ID
sig07-015
Subject Category
C.5.1.4   C.5.4.6   C.4  
Subject Name
NGC 5044
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)
Release Date
2007-08-16
Lightyears
123,000,000
Redshift
0.009
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2118-sig07-015-Dust-in-Hell
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Redshift from NED
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)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig07-015.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-06
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
123,000,000 light years

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