The Hubble Space Telescope is 34 years old, but it’s still able to deliver amazing photos from space. Hubble’s latest target is the Great Spiral Galaxy NGC 5248, located 42 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Bootes.
NGC 5248, also known as Caldwell 45, is one of the most famous Messier objects and a common goal of amateur astronomers. terra firma.
“One of the so-called ‘grand design’ spirals, with prominent spiral arms extending through the disk from near the center.” NGC 5248 is aesthetically pleasing. Hubble used six filters: five optical filters (ranging from 336 to 814 nanometers) and one ultraviolet (275 nanometers) to capture its beautiful colors and spirals, primarily in visible light.
NGC 5248 was imaged using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on a telescope in low Earth orbit during a 2009 upgrade mission. At the same time, WFC3’s combination of wide wavelength range, wide field of view, and high sensitivity improves our exploration and discovery capabilities,” explains the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).
The WFC3 combines a pair of optical/ultraviolet CCD image sensors with a near-infrared HgCdTe array. By combining these various sensors and its suite of filters, Hubble’s WFC3 can provide high-resolution images from 200 to 1,700 nanometers.
The improved image processing capabilities of WFC3 will have a major impact on astrophysical research. In the case of NGC 5248, scientists are interested in how the galaxy is affected by rotational energy and gas flow. Intense “starburst” star-forming regions in galaxies play an important role in the formation and shape of galaxies. The galaxy has two active ring-shaped starburst regions surrounding its core, each filled with young star clusters.
“These ‘nuclear rings’ are noteworthy enough, but normally nuclear rings tend to prevent gas from penetrating further into the center of a galaxy. Inside the first ring of NGC 5248 The presence of a second ring indicates how powerful its flow of matter and energy is, and its relatively close proximity and highly visible starburst region make this galaxy a popular choice for professionals and amateurs alike. “It has become a similar target for astronomers,” NASA wrote.
The galaxy’s beautiful spirals send gas back from the outer regions to the inner star-forming regions, and some material even reaches the black hole at the galaxy’s center. Broadly speaking, the symbolic shape of galaxies is primarily due to the influx of gas.
Image credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Li, PHANGS-HST Team
