Swift Makes Best-ever Ultraviolet Portrait of Andromeda Galaxy

[n2doc]

In a break from its usual task of searching for distant cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet. The galaxy, known as M31 in the constellation Andromeda, is the largest and closest spiral galaxy to our own.





"Swift reveals about 20,000 ultraviolet sources in M31, especially hot, young stars and dense star clusters," said Stefan Immler, a research scientist on the Swift team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Of particular importance is that we have covered the galaxy in three ultraviolet filters. That will let us study M31's star-formation processes in much greater detail than previously possible."

M31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is more than 220,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away. On a clear, dark night, the galaxy is faintly visible as a misty patch to the naked eye.

Between May 25 and July 26, 2008, Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) acquired 330 images of M31 at wavelengths of 192.8, 224.6, and 260 nanometers. The images represent a total exposure time of 24 hours.

more:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/uv_andromeda.html

(bigger images at link)

[cliffordu]

1. I loves me some outerspace pictures.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Ooh, pretty!

[trusty elf]

3. Gorgeous,

thanks!

That 8 Mb image at the link is quite something!

[quiet.american]

4. That is beautiful! nt

[roguevalley]

5. Thank you. I wonder how I can get to there.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Be sure to pack a REALLY BIG lunch and take WARM blankets!

[roguevalley]

7. SNUGGIES! I will need a few snuggies.

:evilgrin: