A hypnotising galaxy

Fall deeper into the entrancing NGC 4303, a spiral galaxy located approximately 55 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. This image combines data taken at radio and visible wavelengths, and is helping astronomers understand how stars form in galaxies.

The hypnotising golden glow drawing you into the image corresponds to clouds of molecular gas, the raw material out of which stars form. The data was taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), co-operated by ESO in the Chilean Andes. The blueish regions in the background, on the other hand, were imaged with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), also in Chile, and they reveal already formed stars. By comparing the distribution of gas and stars astronomers are able to study what triggers, enhances or hampers the birth of new stars. 

This image is part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) project, which is using ground-based and space telescopes to make detailed observations of nearby galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum

Crédit:

ESO/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/PHANGS

À propos de l'image

Identification:potw2306a
Type:Observation
Date de publication:6 février 2023 09:00
Taille:888 x 884 px

À propos de l'objet

Nom:NGC 4303
Type:Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Distance:55 million années lumière
Constellation:Virgo
Catégorie:Galaxies

Image Formats

Grand JPEG
202,7 Kio
JPEG taille écran
187,8 Kio

Zoomable


Fonds d'écran

1024x768
202,2 Kio
1280x1024
280,2 Kio
1600x1200
353,3 Kio
1920x1200
384,8 Kio
2048x1536
485,1 Kio

Coordinates

Position (RA):12 21 54.89
Position (Dec):4° 28' 24.88"
Field of view:2.96 x 2.95 arcminutes
Orientation:North is -0.0° left of vertical

Couleurs & filtres

DomaineLongueur d'ondeTélescope
Visible
G
475 nmVery Large Telescope
MUSE
Visible
R
625 nmVery Large Telescope
MUSE
Millimétrique
CO [2–1]
1.2 cmAtacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
Band 6
Visible
I
775 nmVery Large Telescope
MUSE