Two Galaxies Masquerading as One

Spitzer_sig13-017a_1024

spitzer_sig13-017a November 14th, 2013

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/NRAO

What might look like a colossal jet shooting away from a galaxy turns out to be an illusion. New data from the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), combined with an infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, reveals two galaxies, one lying behind the other, that had been masquerading as one.

In a new image highlighting the chance alignment, radio data from the VLA are magenta and infrared observations from Spitzer are blue.

The closer galaxy, called UGC 10288, is located 100 million light-years away. It is spiral in shape, but from our viewpoint on Earth, we are seeing its thin edge. Infrared observations of such edge-on galaxies penetrate the thick clouds of dust that wrap through the spiral arms and block visible light views. The bright glow of dense starfields that run along the galaxy's central plane, and in its core, are easily seen.

The farther galaxy, seen in magenta, is nearly 7 billion light-years away. Two giant jets shoot away from this galaxy, one of which is seen above the plane of the closer galaxy's disk, while the other is hidden behind it. A second distant radio galaxy can be seen as a magenta dot further to the right.

Earlier images of the two galaxies appeared as one fuzzy blob, and fooled astronomers into thinking they were looking at one galaxy. Thanks to the VLA pulling the curtain back, revealing the chance alignment, the scientists have a unique opportunity to learn otherwise-unobtainable facts about the nearer galaxy.

This image was taken after Spitzer's liquid coolant ran dry in May 2009, marking the beginning of its "warm" mission. Light from the telescope's remaining infrared channels are colored blue at 3.6 microns and green at 4.5 microns. 7.3 cm radio light from the VLA is magenta.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5705-sig13-017a-Two-Galaxies-Masquerading-as-One

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
UGC 10288
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Component > Disk
Galaxy > Activity > AGN

Distance

Universescale2
93,000,000 light years
Spitzer_sig13-017a_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 16h 14m 24.8s
DEC = 0° 12’ 27.1”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
18.0 x 18.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Serpens

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Magenta VLA Radio 73.0 mm
Spectrum_ir2
Blue
Green
Magenta
Spitzer_sig13-017a_1280
×
ID
sig13-017a
Subject Category
C.5.1.1   C.5.4.3   C.5.3.2  
Subject Name
UGC 10288
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/NRAO
Release Date
2013-11-14
Lightyears
93,000,000
Redshift
0.006818
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5705-sig13-017a-Two-Galaxies-Masquerading-as-One
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, VLA
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Magenta
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Radio
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 73000000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
243.603330, -0.207530
Reference Dimension
2700, 2700
Reference Pixel
1350.5, 1350.5
Scale
-1.11111000000000e-04, 1.11111000000000e-04
Rotation
0
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig13-017a.tif
Metadata Date
2013-11-19
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
93,000,000 light years

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