Giant space blob glows from within

This image shows one of the largest known single objects in the Universe, the Lyman-alpha blob LAB-1. This picture is a composite of two different images taken with the FORS instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT)  — a wider image showing the surrounding galaxies and a much deeper observation of the blob itself at the centre made to detect its polarisation. The intense Lyman-alpha ultraviolet radiation from the blob appears green after it has been stretched by the expansion of the Universe during its long journey to Earth. These new observations show for the first time that the light from this object is polarised. This means that the giant "blob" must be powered by galaxies embedded within the cloud. 

Oikeudet:

ESO/M. Hayes 

Kuvasta

Tunnistus:eso1130a
Tyyppi:Havainto
Julkaisupäivä:17. elokuuta 2011 19:00
Vastaavat julkaisut:eso1632, eso1130
Koko:2042 x 2042 px

Kohteesta

Nimi:LAB-1
Tyyppi:Early Universe : Cosmology : Morphology : Large-Scale Structure
Etäisyys:z=3.1 (punasiirtymä)
Constellation:Aquarius
Kategoria:Cosmology

Kuvaformaatit

Suuri JPEG
597,4 KB
Kokoruudun JPEG
146,8 KB

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Koordinaatit

Position (RA):22 17 25.78
Position (Dec):0° 12' 39.20"
Field of view:1.60 x 1.60 arcminutes
Suuntaus:Pohjoinen on 9.9° oikea pystysuuntaan nähden

Värit ja suotimet

KaistaAallonpituusTeleskooppi
Optinen
B
Very Large Telescope
FORS2
Optinen
OIII
500 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS2
Optinen
Pseudogreen (B+R)
Very Large Telescope
FORS2
Optinen
V
Very Large Telescope
FORS2