#Spiral galaxy m51 Patch

This composite image also shows areas of hydrogen emission in the weak structures extending beyond NGC 5195, near upper of the image.

The hydrogen emission regions in the typical reddish color are called HII regions, regions where star formation is intense and located mainly along the spiral arms of M51. The data include long exposures through a hydrogen-alpha filter that focuses on emissions of atomic hydrogen. This composite image combines contrasts dramatically enhanced images of M51 obtained with the 1.2-m telescope of Calar Alto Observatory. Featuring a clear spiral structure and also cataloged as NGC 5194, M51 is a member of a well known duo of interacting galaxies, spiral arms sweeping the companion galaxy NGC 5195. This is a pair of galaxies, distant 31 million light-years. The spiral nebula, M51 is a large galaxy as it is over 60,000 light years in diameter. Small companion galaxies are also visible near the galactic disk. These dusts were likely ejected from the disk by supernova explosions or intense activity of star formation. In this picture we can see detail of thick veins of dust.Ī distinction is also on the presentation by the edge of NGC 891 filament of dust that extend for hundreds of light years above and below the disk.

Like all spiral galaxies, it has a thin and flat galactic disk and a central bulge in the middle. NGC 891 is very similar to our own galaxy, the Milky Way. This spiral galaxy extends about 100,000 light years in diameter and is distant about 30 million light years from our galaxy in the constellation Andromeda.

#Spiral galaxy m51 Patch

The object is visible in small telescopes of moderate size, as an elongated patch of faint light spread over a band of dust. This galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 galaxies in the local supercluster. It was discovered by William Herschel October 6, 1784. Press, UK, 1981).NGC 891 galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. in The Structure and Evolution of Normal Galaxies (eds. 79, The Large Scale Structure of the Universe (eds. in Dynamics and Interactions of Galaxies (ed. We suggest that a combination of several mechanisms, such as the interaction of M51 with the neighbouring galaxy NGC5195, forcing by the central 'bar', or distortions from density waves, is required to generate the observed structure.Īaronson, M.

The coherence of the arms over this large radial range challenges current theories of spiral structure. We find that the spiral arms extend significantly further towards the galaxy's centre than previously observed and can be traced continuously through almost three revolutions - roughly twice as far as with optical images. Our observations reveal remarkable dynamical structures not visible in conventional optical images. To minimize the effects of dust and maximize sensitivity to the dominant stellar population, we have obtained K-band (2.2-μm) images of the nearby 'grand-design' spiral galaxy NGC5194 (M51). But this has hitherto been difficult because of dust obscuration and the presence of luminous young stars. MODELLING the structure and kinematics of spiral galaxies requires accurate maps of the mass-tracing stellar population.