Galaxy IRAS F00183-7111

Spitzer_ssc2003-06h_1024

spitzer_ssc2003-06h December 18th, 2003

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Armus (SSC/Caltech), H. Kline (JPL), Digital Sky Survey

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected the building blocks of life in the distant universe, albeit in a violent milieu. Training its powerful infrared eye on a faint object located at a distance of 3.2 billion light-years (inset), Spitzer has observed the presence of water and organic molecules in the galaxy IRAS F00183-7111. With an active galactic nucleus, this is one of the most luminous galaxies in the universe, rivaling the energy output of a quasar. Because it is heavily obscured by dust, most of its luminosity is radiated at infrared wavelengths.

The infrared spectrograph instrument onboard Spitzer breaks light into its constituent colors, much as a prism does for visible light. The image shows a low-resolution spectrum of the galaxy obtained by the spectrograph at wavelengths between 4 and 20 microns. Spectra are graphical representations of a celestial object's unique blend of light. Characteristic patterns, or fingerprints, within the spectra allow astronomers to identify the object's chemical composition and to determine such physical properties as temperature and density.

The broad depression in the center of the spectrum denotes the presence of silicates (chemically similar to beach sand) in the galaxy. An emission peak (red) within the bottom of the trough is the chemical signature for molecular hydrogen. The hydrocarbons (orange) are organic molecules comprised of carbon and hydrogen, two of the most common elements on Earth. Since it has taken more than three billion years for the light from the galaxy to reach Earth, it is intriguing to note the presence of organics in a distant galaxy at a time when life is thought to have started forming on our home planet.

Additional features in the spectrum reveal the presence of water ice (blue), carbon dioxide ice (green) and carbon monoxide (purple) in both gas and solid forms. The magenta peak corresponds to singly ionized neon gas, a spectral line often used by astronomers as a diagnostic of star formation rates in distant galaxies.

The Spitzer spectrum is the result of only 14 minutes of integration time, highlighting the power of the infrared spectrograph to unlock the secrets of distant galaxies.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1098-ssc2003-06h-Galaxy-IRAS-F00183-7111

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

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

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Image Details

Image Type
Chart
Object Name
IRAS F00183-7111
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Activity > AGN

Distance

Universescale3
3,200,000,000 light years

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Purple Spitzer (IRS) Infrared (Mid-IR) -
5.3 - 26.5 microns
Spitzer_ssc2003-06h_1280
×
ID
ssc2003-06h
Subject Category
D.5.3.2.  
Subject Name
IRAS F00183-7111
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Armus (SSC/Caltech), H. Kline (JPL), Digital Sky Survey
Release Date
2003-12-18
Lightyears
3,200,000,000
Redshift
0.326999
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1098-ssc2003-06h-Galaxy-IRAS-F00183-7111
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance taken from Fast Facts and NED
Facility
Spitzer
Instrument
IRS
Color Assignment
Purple
Band
Infrared
Bandpass
Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
5
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
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2003-06h.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
3,200,000,000 light years

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