Interacting galaxy Pair NGC 1532 and NGC 1531

Noirlab_noao-ngc1532-31_1024

noirlab_noao-ngc1532-31 June 30th, 2020

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/Travis Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage

The interacting galaxy pair NGC1532 and NGC1531 were imaged using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) at Gemini South in Chile on December 5, 2004. This view reveals spectacular details in the galactic pair embraced in a fiery waltz. The larger galaxy (NGC1532) is a spiral, and from our point of view within the Milky Way it is seen as nearly edge-on. Intense reddish star-forming regions spatter the edges of the dusty arms silhouetted in the foreground against the galactic disk. The three-dimensional nature of the galaxy is revealed by the background spiral arms dimmed by intervening gas and dust. The smaller of the galactic pair (NGC1531) is dwarfed by its larger companion in much the same fashion as the Large Magellanic Cloud is by our Milky Way. Hints of interaction between these two galaxies are seen in at least two stray associations of stars and glowing red clumps of hydrogen gas. A warp in a background spiral arm of NGC1532 and a possible bridge of matter that connect the pair suggest continued influences between the two galaxies. This pair is located about 55 million light-years away toward the southern constellation of Eridanus. It is part of a larger group that includes at least one other dwarf galaxy outside the field of this image. The mass of NGC1532 is estimated to be slightly greater than that of our Milky Way.

Provider: NOIRLab

Image Source: https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noao-ngc1532-31/

Curator: NSF's NOIRLab, Tucson, AZ, USA

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
NGC 1531 NGC 1532
Noirlab_noao-ngc1532-31_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 4h 12m 3.8s
DEC = -32° 52’ 20.5”
Orientation
North is 94.0° CCW
Field of View
5.2 x 4.9 arcminutes
Constellation
Eridanus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red Gemini-S (GMOS-S) Optical (H-alpha) 656.0 nm
Orange Gemini-S (GMOS-S) Optical (I) 780.0 nm
Green Gemini-S (GMOS-S) Optical (R) 630.0 nm
Blue Gemini-S (GMOS-S) Optical (G) 475.0 nm
Purple Gemini-S (GMOS-S) Optical (U) 350.0 nm
Spectrum_base
Red
Orange
Green
Blue
Purple
Noirlab_noao-ngc1532-31_1280
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ID
noao-ngc1532-31
Subject Category
Subject Name
NGC 1531, NGC 1532
Credits
International Gemini Observatory/Travis Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage
Release Date
2020-06-30T21:33:56
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noao-ngc1532-31/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Facility
Gemini South, Gemini South, Gemini South, Gemini South, Gemini South
Instrument
GMOS-S, GMOS-S, GMOS-S, GMOS-S, GMOS-S
Color Assignment
Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple
Band
Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass
H-alpha, I, R, G, U
Central Wavelength
656, 780, 630, 475, 350
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
None, None, None, None, None
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
63.015899638, -32.8723518583
Reference Dimension
2141.0, 2034.0
Reference Pixel
1070.5, 1017.0
Scale
-4.05157801552e-05, 4.05157801552e-05
Rotation
94
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
NSF's NOIRLab
URL
https://noirlab.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
950 North Cherry Ave.
City
Tucson
State/Province
AZ
Postal Code
85719
Country
USA
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
NSF's NOIRLab
Publisher ID
noirlab
Resource ID
noao-ngc1532-31
Metadata Date
2005-01-03T13:27:36-10:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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