by APOD Robot » Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:53 am
Galaxies Beyond the Heart: Maffei 1 and 2
Explanation: The two galaxies on the far left were unknown until 1968. Although they would have appeared as two of the brighter galaxies on the night sky, the opaque dust of the
central band of our
Milky Way Galaxy had
obscured them from being seen in visible light. The
above image in
infrared light taken by the recently launched
Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (
WISE), however, finds these galaxies in
great detail far behind -- but seemingly next to -- the
photogenic Heart nebula (IC 1805). The
spiral galaxy near the top is the easiest to spot and is known as
Maffei 2. Just below and to its right is fuzzy-looking
Maffei 1, the closest giant
elliptical galaxy to Earth. The
above false-colored image spans three
full moons from top to bottom. The
Maffei galaxies each span about 15,000 light years across and lie about 10 million
light years away toward the
constellation of the Queen of
Ethiopia (Cassiopeia). On the image right, stars, gaseous filaments, and warm
dust highlight a detailed
infrared view of the
Heart nebula.
[/b]
[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100309.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100309.jpg[/img] [size=150]Galaxies Beyond the Heart: Maffei 1 and 2[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] The two galaxies on the far left were unknown until 1968. Although they would have appeared as two of the brighter galaxies on the night sky, the opaque dust of the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070930.html]central band[/url] of our [url=http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/milky-way/milky_way.html]Milky Way Galaxy[/url] had [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000109.html]obscured[/url] them from being seen in visible light. The [url=http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_Maffei_1_2.html]above image[/url] in [url=http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/infrared.html]infrared light[/url] taken by the recently launched [url=http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/mission.html]Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer[/url] ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QtyB-TdlSc]WISE[/url]), however, finds these galaxies in [url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005PASP..117..589D]great detail[/url] far behind -- but seemingly next to -- the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090214.html]photogenic Heart nebula[/url] (IC 1805). The [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080622.html]spiral galaxy[/url] near the top is the easiest to spot and is known as [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maffei_2]Maffei 2[/url]. Just below and to its right is fuzzy-looking [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maffei_1]Maffei 1[/url], the closest giant [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/elliptical_galaxies.html]elliptical galaxy[/url] to Earth. The [url=http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_Maffei_1_2.html]above false-colored image[/url] spans three [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080801.html]full moon[/url]s from top to bottom. The [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Maffei]Maffei[/url] galaxies each span about 15,000 light years across and lie about 10 million [url=http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html]light years[/url] away toward the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_%28constellation%29]constellation[/url] of the Queen of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia_%28mythology%29]Ethiopia[/url] (Cassiopeia). On the image right, stars, gaseous filaments, and warm [url=http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Mathis/Mathis1.html]dust[/url] highlight a detailed [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ-8yFgWt-c]infrared view[/url] of the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080914.html]Heart nebula[/url].
[b][table][tr][td=left][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=100308]<< Previous APOD[/url][/td][td=center][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewforum.php?f=9]Discuss Any APOD[/url][/td] [td=right][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=100310]Next APOD >>[/url][/td][/tr][/table][/b]