Spitzer Sees Stray Starlight

Spitzer_ssc2012-14b_1024

spitzer_ssc2012-14b October 24th, 2012

Credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

New research from scientists using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggests that a mysterious infrared glow across our whole sky is coming from stray stars torn from galaxies. When galaxies grow, they merge and become gravitationally tangled in a violent process that results in streams of stars being ripped away from the galaxies. Such streams, called tidal tails, can be seen in this artist's concept. Scientists say that Spitzer is picking up the collective glow of stars such as these, which linger in the spaces between galaxies.

This artwork is adapted, in part, from galaxy images obtained from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5479-ssc2012-14b-Spitzer-Sees-Stray-Starlight

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
Artwork
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Component > Halo
Spitzer_ssc2012-14b_1280
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ID
ssc2012-14b
Subject Category
C.5.4.4  
Subject Name
Credits
NASA/ESA/STScI/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
Release Date
2012-10-24
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5479-ssc2012-14b-Spitzer-Sees-Stray-Starlight
Type
Artwork
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)
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
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2012-14b.tif
Metadata Date
2018-01-10
Metadata Version
1.2
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