Uma bolha cósmica gigante
Com uma dimensão de mais de 300 000 anos-luz, ou seja três vezes o diâmetro da Via Láctea, esta bolha colorida de gás ionizado (a azul na imagem) é a maior alguma vez descoberta. A enorme bolha contém 10 galáxias individuais e situa-se na região particularmente densa de um grupo de galáxias chamado COSMOS-Gr30, a 6,5 mil milhões de anos-luz de distância da Terra. Observado devido à sua elevada densidade de galáxias, este grupo apresenta-se extremamente variado — algumas galáxias estão a formar estrelas de forma ativa, enquanto outras se encontram bastante passivas; umas são brilhantes e outras ténues; umas são massivas e outras são minúsculas.
Esta bolha detentora de recorde foi descoberta e estudada em detalhe graças à grande sensibilidade do instrumento MUSE, montado no Very Large Telescope do ESO. A operar nos comprimentos de onda do visível, o MUSE combina as capacidades de um instrumento de imagens com as capacidades de medição de um espectrógrafo, criando uma ferramenta única e poderosa capaz de nos mostrar objetos cosmológicos, que, de outro modo, seriam impossíveis de observar.
O poderoso olho do MUSE permitiu aos astrónomos compreender que esta enorme bolsa de gás não é pura, tendo sido expelida por galáxias, ou durante interações violentas ou por ventos fortes lançados por buracos negros ativos ou supernovas. Os astrónomos estudaram também como é que o gás da bolha se ionizou. Pensa-se que o gás existente na região superior foi ionizado devido à intensa radiação electromagnética emitida por estrelas recém nascidas e ondas de choque com origem em atividade galáctica. Os astrónomos suspeitam que o núcleo ativo de galáxia rosa forte, situado na zona inferior esquerda da imagem, possa ter arrancado os electrões aos seus átomos.
Links
- Comparação de imagens do grupo de galáxias COSMOS-Gr30 visto com o Hubble e com o MUSE
- COSMOS-Gr30 observado com o Telescópio Espacial Hubble da NASA/ESA
- Artigo científico
ESO/T. Contini (IRAP, Toulouse), B. Epinat (LAM, Marseille)
Sobre a imagem
| Id: | potw1746a |
| Língua: | pt |
| Data de divulgação: | 13 de Novembro de 2017 às 06:00 |
| Tamanho: | 1575 x 1575 px |
Sobre o objeto
| Nome: | COSMOS-Gr30 |
| Tipo: | Early Universe : Galaxy |
| Distância: | 6 milhar de milhão anos-luz |
| Constellation: | Sextans |
Formatos de imagens
Papéis de parede
Coordenadas
| Position (RA): | 10 0 35.17 |
| Position (Dec): | 2° 3' 50.22" |
| Field of view: | 0.79 x 0.79 arcminutes |
| Orientação: | O norte está a -0.0° à esquerda da vertical |
Cores e filtros
| Banda | Comprimento de onda | Telescópio |
|---|---|---|
| Óptico OII | 372 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
| Óptico V | 606 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
| Óptico H-beta | 486 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
| Óptico I | 814 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
| Óptico OIII | 500 nm | Very Large Telescope MUSE |
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