Retrato de una Espiral Imperfecta pero Bella
No todas las galaxias espirales necesitan ser perfectas como un cuadro para ser espectaculares. Messier 96, también conocida como NGC 3368, es tal caso: su núcleo está desplazado del centro, su gas y polvo están distribuidos asimétricamente y sus brazos en espiral están mal definidos. Pero este retrato, tomado con el instrumento FORS1 en el Very Large Telescope de ESO, muestra que en el Messier 96 la imperfección es belleza. El corazón de la galaxia es compacto pero radiante, y las oscuras nubes de polvo a su alrededor se mueven en un delicado remolino hacia el núcleo. Y los brazos en espiral, anillos disparejos de estrellas jóvenes, son como collares de perlas azules.
Messier 96 está en la constelación de Leo (El León). Es la galaxia más grande en el grupo de galaxias Leo I; incluyendo sus brazos espirales más externos, se extiende por unos 100 millones de años-luz en diámetro – alrededor del tamaño de nuestra Vía Láctea. Sus imperfecciones llenas de gracia probablemente son el resultado de la fuerza gravitacional de otros miembros del grupo, o tal vez se deben a pasados encuentros galácticos.
Una multitud de galaxias en el segundo plano miran a través de la polvorienta espiral. Tal vez el más espectacular de estos objetos es una galaxia de canto que – debido a la alineación casual – parece interrumpir el brazo espiral más externo hacia el lado superior izquierdo del núcleo de Messier 96.
Esta fotografía fue procesada por ESO empleando información de observaciones encontradas por Oleg Maliy de Ucrania, quien participó en la competencia de astrofotografía de ESO Tesoros Ocultos 2010 [1]; esta fue organizada en Octubre-Noviembre 2010, para todos aquellos que disfrutan haciendo bellas fotografías del cielo nocturno usando información astronómica obtenida con telescopios profesioneales. La fotografía fue hecha con información tomada a longitudes de onda ópticas e infrarrojas a través de filtros B, V e I.
Notas
[1] La competencia Tesoros Ocultos 2010 de ESO le dió la oportunidad a los astrónomos aficionados de buscar a través de los amplios archivos de información astronómica de ESO, en la esperanza de encontrar una joya bien escondida que necesita ser pulida por los participantes. Para averiguar más sobre Tesoros Ocultos, visite http://www.eso.org/public/events/hiddentreasures/.
Crédito:ESO/Oleg Maliy
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw1143a |
| Idioma: | es-cl |
| Tipo: | Observación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 24 de Octubre de 2011 a las 10:00 |
| Tamaño: | 2045 x 2044 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | Messier 96, NGC 3368 |
| Tipo: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral |
| Distancia: | 35 millón años luz |
| Constellation: | Leo |
Fondo de pantalla
Coordenadas
| Position (RA): | 10 46 45.76 |
| Position (Dec): | 11° 49' 11.96" |
| Field of view: | 6.83 x 6.83 arcminutes |
| Orientación: | El norte está a 0.1° a la derecha de la vertical |
Colores y filtros
| Banda | Telescopio |
|---|---|
| Óptico B | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |
| Óptico V | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |
| Infrarrojo I | Very Large Telescope FORS1 |
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