VISTA’s view of the Small Magellanic Cloud
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) galaxy is a striking feature of the southern sky even to the unaided eye. But visible-light telescopes cannot get a really clear view of what is in the galaxy because of obscuring clouds of interstellar dust. VISTA’s infrared capabilities have now allowed astronomers to see the myriad of stars in this neighbouring galaxy much more clearly than ever before. The result is this record-breaking image — the biggest infrared image ever taken of the Small Magellanic Cloud — with the whole frame filled with millions of stars.
As well as the SMC itself this very wide-field image reveals many background galaxies and several star clusters, including the very bright 47 Tucanae globular cluster at the right of the picture.
Źródło:ESO/VISTA VMC
O zdjęciu
| Identyfikator: | eso1714a |
| Typ: | Obserwacje |
| Data publikacji: | 3 maja 2017 12:00 |
| Powiązane komunikaty: | eso1714 |
| Rozmiar: | 43223 x 38236 px |
O obiekcie
| Nazwa: | Small Magellanic Cloud, SMC |
| Typ: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Irregular |
| Odległość: | 200000 lat świetlnych |
| Constellation: | Tucana |
| Kategoria: | Galaxies |
Formaty zdjęć
Współrzędne
| Pozycja (RA): | 0 55 3.16 |
| Pozycja (Dec): | -72° 57' 50.57" |
| Pole widzenia: | 354.37 x 313.48 arcminutes |
| Orientacja: | North is 1.2° lewo of vertical |
Kolory i filtry
| Pasmo | Długość fali | Teleskop |
|---|---|---|
| Podczerwony Y | 1.02 μm | Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy VIRCAM |
| Podczerwony J | 1.25 μm | Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy VIRCAM |
| Podczerwony Ks | 2.15 μm | Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy VIRCAM |