SPIRE spectrum of Messier 82

Nhsc_nhsc2009-021c_1024

nhsc_nhsc2009-021c November 27th, 2009

Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech

This is one of the early spectra obtained with the SPIRE fourier transform spectrometer on Herschel. It depicts the spectrum of M82, the nearest starburst galaxy. The accompanying image is a spectacular three-colour composite picture of the M81 and M82 pair of galaxies also obtained with the SPIRE camera.

The SPIRE spectrum of M82 shows strong emission lines from carbon monoxide (CO) over the whole wavelength range, as well as emission lines from atomic carbon and ionized nitrogen.

Messier 82 (M82), is a prototype starburst galaxy about 12 million light years away in the constellation of Ursa Major. This galaxy is famous for its spectacular bi-polar outflow or "super-wind", gas and dust driven outwards by stellar winds and supernovae in the galaxies central regions, where stars are produced at a very high rate. M82 is part of an interacting group of galaxies including the large spiral M81 from which material is being stripped by the gravitational interaction with M82.

This SPIRE FTS observation was carried out as part of the performance verification of the observatory. The scientific rights of this observation are owned by the Nearby Galaxies Key Programme consortia, led by C. Wilson.

Provider: Herschel Space Observatory

Image Source: https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2009-021c

Curator: NASA Herschel Science Center, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/

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Image Details

Image Type
Chart
Object Name
Cigar Galaxy Messier 82 M82 NGC 3034
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Activity > Starburst

Distance

Universescale2
11,500,000 light years
Nhsc_nhsc2009-021c_1280
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ID
nhsc2009-021c
Subject Category
C.5.3.3  
Subject Name
Cigar Galaxy, Messier 82, M82, NGC 3034
Credits
ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech
Release Date
2009-11-27
Lightyears
11,500,000
Redshift
0.000677
Reference Url
https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2009-021c
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
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)
NASA Herschel Science Center
URL
http://www.herschel.caltech.edu/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/imagepolicy/
Publisher
Publisher ID
nhsc
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2018-06-21T00:14:43Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
11,500,000 light years

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