Charting Ingredients for Life

Spitzer_ssc2005-15a_1024

spitzer_ssc2005-15a July 28th, 2005

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Yan (SSC/Caltech)

This graph, or spectrum, charts light from a faraway galaxy located 10 billion light years from Earth. It tracks mid-infrared light from an extremely luminous galaxy when the universe was only 1/4 of its current age.

Spectra are created when an instrument called a spectrograph spreads light out into its basic parts, like a prism turning sunlight into a rainbow. They reveal the signatures, or "fingerprints," of molecules that make up a galaxy and contribute to its light.

Spitzer's infrared spectrometer identified characteristic fingerprints of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, illustrated in the artist's concept in the inset. These large molecules comprised of carbon and hydrogen, are considered among the building blocks of life.

Scientists determined it took 10 billion years for photons from this galaxy to reach Spitzer's infrared eyes. These complex carbon and hydrogen molecules are from a young galaxy which is undergoing intense star formation, at the time the universe was only 3.5 billion years old.

These distant galaxies with enormous amounts of gas being converted into young stars are some of the most luminous objects in the sky. Enshrouded by dust, they are only faint, inconspicuous little dots in optical images. They are as bright as 10 trillion suns put together and 10 times brighter than starburst galaxies seen in our local universe.

This prompts a fascinating question as to what physical process is driving such enormous energy production in these galaxies when the universe is so young. These data were taken by Spitzer's infrared spectrograph in August and September 2004.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1456-ssc2005-15a-Charting-Ingredients-for-Life

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
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Activity > Ultraluminous

Distance

Universescale3
10,000,000,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 17h 13m 50.0s
DEC = 58° 56’ 56.8”
Constellation
Draco

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Spitzer (IRS) Infrared 5.0 µm
Spitzer (IRS) Infrared 15.0 µm
Spectrum runs from 5 to 15 microns
Spectrum_ir1
Spitzer_ssc2005-15a_1280
×
ID
ssc2005-15a
Subject Category
C.5.3.4.  
Subject Name
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Yan (SSC/Caltech)
Release Date
2005-07-28
Lightyears
10,000,000,000
Redshift
1.828
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1456-ssc2005-15a-Charting-Ingredients-for-Life
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Approximate redshifr from science paper
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRS, IRS
Color Assignment
Band
Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
5000, 15000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
S
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
258.45833333, 58.94911944
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Coordinates taken from science paper.
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
ssc2005-15a.tif
Metadata Date
2012-03-22
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
10,000,000,000 light years

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