APOD: NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe (2006 Apr 21)

Dusty_Roads · Post by **Dusty_Roads** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:02 pm

Hi! I'm new here and I would like to make a comment on, NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe, that was on APOD 4/21.
Looking at the beautiful photo I noticed the lines of matter or energy radiating upwards from the top of the galaxy.
It reminds me of lines of flux in a magnetic field.
Could Galaxies have the same magnetic field that planets and suns have?
Just a curious observation.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060421.html

Qev · Post by **Qev** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:50 pm

Galaxies most certainly do have magnetic fields, albeit of relatively low intensity; the Milky Way's magnetic field is estimated to be about 0.1nT (or 10^-10T) in intensity, or about 500000 times weaker than Earth's magnetic field. Scientists have also mapped the magnetic fields of other galaxies; M31 and the Large Magellanic Cloud are two that come to mind offhand.

starnut · Post by **starnut** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:05 pm

Yes, galaxies do have a magnetic field, albeit a weak and disordered one compared to Earth's. Earth's magnetic field strength is about 5.0x10-5 Tesla. Our Galaxy's is about 5.0x10-10 Tesla, 100,000 times weaker.

What you see in the picture is not, however, due to the galactic magnetic field. The explanation states that this galaxy is a starburst galaxy, meaning it has undergone a period of rapid star formations, resulting in massive but short-lived stars exploding all over the place, blowing matter out of the galactic plane.

http://www.arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509430

gary