NGC 3627 (M66)

Spitzer_sig05-016_1024

spitzer_sig05-016 September 15th, 2005

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team

This image of spiral galaxy NGC 3627, also known as Messier 66, was captured by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) Legacy Project using the telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).

NGC 3627 is estimated to be 30 million light-years distant and seen towards the constellation Leo. Astronomers suspect that the galaxy's distorted shape is due to its ongoing gravitational interactions with its neighbors Messier 65 and NGC 3628. NGC 3627 is another brilliant example of a barred spiral galaxy, the most common type of disk galaxy in the local Universe. Its blue core and bar-like structure illustrates a concentration of older stars. While the bar seems devoid of star formation, the bar ends are bright red and actively forming stars. A barred spiral offers an exquisite laboratory for star formation because it contains many different environments with varying levels of star-formation activity, e.g., nucleus, rings, bar, the bar ends and spiral arms.

The SINGS image is a four-channel color composite, where blue indicates emission at 3.6 microns, green corresponds to 4.5 microns, and red to 5.8 and 8.0 microns. The contribution from starlight (measured at 3.6 microns) in this picture has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8 micron images to enhance the visibility of the dust features.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2367-sig05-016-NGC-3627-M66-

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
Observation
Object Name
Messier 66 M66 NGC 3627
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Type > Barred

Distance

Universescale2
30,000,000 light years
Spitzer_sig05-016_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 11h 20m 17.9s
DEC = 13° 0’ 0.1”
Orientation
North is 62.6° CCW
Field of View
10.1 x 10.1 arcminutes
Constellation
Leo

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 5.8 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
The contribution from starlight has been subtracted from the 5.8 and 8.0 micron channels to enhance the visibility of dust features.
Spectrum_base
Blue
Green
Red
Red
Spitzer_sig05-016_1280
×
ID
sig05-016
Subject Category
C.5.1.1.   C.5.1.2.  
Subject Name
Messier 66, M66, NGC 3627
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS Team
Release Date
2005-09-15
Lightyears
30,000,000
Redshift
0.002425
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2367-sig05-016-NGC-3627-M66-
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance from Quickfacts. Redshift from NED 2008/11/11
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 5800, 8000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
T
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
170.074604576, 13.0000414367
Reference Dimension
812, 812
Reference Pixel
331.064855576, 383.729011536
Scale
-0.00020810035144692, 0.00020810035144692
Rotation
62.649086621018
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
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
sig05-016.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
30,000,000 light years

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