Un ojo que todo lo ve
Los astrónomos pasan el tiempo escudriñando el universo y, en ocasiones, parece que el universo les devuelve la mirada. Esta imagen, una composición hecha a partir de datos de ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) y del Telescopio Espacial Hubble de NASA/ESA, muestra una visión cósmica muy poco habitual: un par de galaxias en interacción que han alcanzado una estructura ocular.
Tal y como su nombre indica, algunos tipos de encuentros entre las galaxias crean formas que se asemejan a un ojo humano. Aunque las colisiones de galaxias de este tipo no son infrecuentes, sólo se han observado unas pocas galaxias con forma de ojo u oculares. Es probable que esta escasez se deba a su naturaleza efímera: estructuras oculares como estas tienden a durar solo unas decenas de millones de años, lo que en términos de vida galáctica es sólo un abrir y cerrar de ojos.
Estas dos galaxias se denominan IC 2163 (izquierda) y NGC 2207 (derecha) — en esta imagen, IC 2163 es la que presenta la estructura ocular. El dúo se encuentra, aproximadamente, a 114 millones de años luz de la Tierra en la dirección de la constelación de Canis Maior (el can mayor).
Las galaxias se han limpiado mutuamente — rozando los bordes de sus brazos espirales— y la galaxia IC 2163 ha pasado por detrás de NGC 2207. Esta colisión “de refilón” ha desencadenado un tsunami de estrellas y gas en IC 2163, haciendo que material de la parte exterior del disco de la galaxia haya viajado hacia el interior. Esta ola colosal de material se ha desacelerado rápidamente, moviéndose desde el exterior hacia el borde interior del párpado y estrellándose en medio de disco de la galaxia, produciendo cintas deslumbrantes de intensa formación estelar y crestas comprimidas de gas y polvo que se asemejan a un par de “párpados” cósmicos.
Notas:
El conjunto ALMA, (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) es una instalación astronómica internacional fruto de la colaboración entre el Observatorio Europeo Austral (European Southern Observatory, ESO), la Fundación Nacional para la Ciencia de EE.UU. (NSF, National Science Foundation) y los Institutos Nacionales de Ciencias Naturales de Japón (NINS, National Institutes of Natural Sciences) en cooperación con la República de Chile. ALMA está financiado por ESO en nombre de sus países miembros; por la NSF en cooperación con el Consejo Nacional de Investigación de Canadá (NRC, National Research Council) y el Consejo Nacional de Ciencias de Taiwán (NSC, National Science Council), y por el NINS en cooperación con la Academia Sinica (AS) de Taiwán y el Instituto de Astronomía y Ciencias Espaciales de Corea (KASI, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute).
Enlaces:
- Artículo científico relacionado: “Ocular shock front in the colliding galaxy IC 2163”, por M. Kaufman et al., publicado en el número del 4 de noviembre de la revista The Astrophysical Journal.
Crédito:
ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. Kaufman & the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw1645a |
| Idioma: | es-cl |
| Tipo: | Observación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 7 de Noviembre de 2016 a las 06:00 |
| Tamaño: | 3298 x 1815 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | IC 2163, NGC 2207 |
| Tipo: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Distancia: | 110 millón años luz |
| Constellation: | Canis Major |
Fondo de pantalla
Coordenadas
| Position (RA): | 6 16 23.45 |
| Position (Dec): | -21° 22' 22.28" |
| Field of view: | 3.98 x 2.19 arcminutes |
| Orientación: | El norte está a 11.2° a la derecha de la vertical |
Colores y filtros
| Banda | Longitud de onda | Telescopio |
|---|---|---|
| Óptico V | 555 nm | Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Óptico I | 814 nm | Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Óptico U | 336 nm | Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Óptico B | 439 nm | Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
| Milímetro CO | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
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