Spitzer's Sunflower

Spitzer_sig11-002_1024

spitzer_sig11-002 March 3rd, 2011

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SINGS Team

The various spiral arm segments of the Sunflower galaxy, also known as Messier 63, show up vividly in this image taken in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Infrared light is sensitive to the dust lanes in spiral galaxies, which appear dark in visible-light images. Spitzer's view reveals complex structures that trace the galaxy's spiral arm pattern.

Messier 63 is 37 million light years away -- not far from the well-known Whirlpool galaxy and the associated Messier 51 group of galaxies.

The dust, glowing red in this image, can be traced all the way down into the galaxy's nucleus, forming a ring around the densest region of stars at its center. The dusty patches are where news stars are being born.

The short diagonal line seen on the lower right side of the galaxy's disk is actually a much more distant galaxy, oriented with its edge facing toward us.

Blue shows infrared light with wavelengths of 3.6 microns, green represents 4.5-micron light and red, 8.0-micron light. The contribution from starlight measured at 3.6 microns has been subtracted from the 8.0-micron image to enhance the visibility of the dust features.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3552-sig11-002-Spitzer-s-Sunflower

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Sunflower Galaxy Messier 63 M63 NGC 5055
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance

Universescale2
37,000,000 light years
Spitzer_sig11-002_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 13h 15m 49.3s
DEC = 42° 1’ 45.5”
Orientation
North is 42.1° CW
Field of View
15.0 x 15.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Canes Venatici

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_sig11-002_1280
×
ID
sig11-002
Subject Category
C.5.1.1.  
Subject Name
Sunflower Galaxy, Messier 63, M63, NGC 5055
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SINGS Team
Release Date
2011-03-03
Lightyears
37,000,000
Redshift
0.0016
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3552-sig11-002-Spitzer-s-Sunflower
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
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
198.9555608, 42.0293031
Reference Dimension
1200.0, 1200.0
Reference Pixel
601.0, 601.0
Scale
-0.000208416, 0.00020841617
Rotation
-42.08
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig11-002.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-01
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
37,000,000 light years

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