Your browser does not support JavaScript! Our sites need it to work more smooth

Infrared astronomy

Discovered in 1781 by the French astronomer and comet hunter, Pierre Méchain, the Sombrero galaxy is a lenticular galaxy, which is a classification between full elliptical and spiral, meaning that it has a disc structure but without spiral arms. It’s about 31 million light years away in the constellation of Virgo and about 50 million light years across (one-third of the Milky Way’s diameter). Astronomers have determined that the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy is about 1 billion solar masses, making it one of the largest in nearby galaxies. They’ve also determined that there are between 1,200 and 2,000 globular clusters present, more than ten times the estimate for the Milky Way’s population, and they’ve been able to correlate the prevalence of globular clusters with the amount of bulge in the galaxy. Using infrared spectroscopy astronomers have also determined that the bulk of star formation occurs within the highly contrasted dust lane. This is 2:20 hours of exposure.

 By unsplash.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441266

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441310

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441247

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex from NASA'.. | Free public domain photo - 441259

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

A striking population of young stellar object.. | Free public domain photo - 441263

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Zeta Ophiuchi, runaway star plowing through s.. | Free public domain photo - 441264

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The constellation of Scorpius is prominent in.. | Free public domain photo - 441316

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Multi-wavelength, false-colored view of the M.. | Free public domain photo - 441089

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441249

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Pair of Dancing Galaxies. Original from NASA... | Free public domain photo - 441246

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The nebula NGC. Original from NASA. Digitally.. | Free public domain photo - 441243

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441224

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441280

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Pair of colliding galaxies called NGC 6240. O.. | Free public domain photo - 441156

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Twelve Foot Subsatellite. Original from NASA... | Free public domain photo - 441536

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

This image from NASA's Wide-field Infrare.. | Free public domain photo - 441305

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Logos of NASA and the German Aerospace Center.. | Free public domain photo - 440735

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 440646

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Complete view of a cluster, containing dozens.. | Free public domain photo - 441206

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Illustrated in this artist's concept are .. | Free public domain photo - 440668

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

A Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy .. | Free public domain photo - 441160

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 440565

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Hubble sees pinwheel of star birth. October 1.. | Free public domain photo - 440186

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is showing.. | Free public domain photo - 440635

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Image of a nebula taken using a NASA telescop.. | Free public domain photo - 441232

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope celebrated.. | Free public domain photo - 440621

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's WISE spacecraft, in its orbit arou.. | Free public domain photo - 440589

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Two large science aircraft, a DC-8 flying lab.. | Free public domain photo - 440043

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Cornell University, Infrared Interferometer m.. | Free public domain photo - 440063

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The cavernous expanse of the Dryden Aircraft .. | Free public domain photo - 440772

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's Boeing 747SP SOFIA airborne observ.. | Free public domain photo - 440759

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory lands a.. | Free public domain photo - 440004

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Pa.. | Free public domain photo - 440766

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into t.. | Free public domain photo - 440579

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA's SOFIA | Free public domain photo - 418592

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Commercial airplane | Free public domain photo - 440752

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Mission aircraft | Free public domain photo - 440005

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

NASA'S SOFIA | Free public domain photo - 440009

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The Milky Way | Free public domain photo - 441163

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Commercial airplane | Free public domain photo - 441104

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

The Peony nebula star | Free public domain photo - 441153

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo

Earth at night | Free public domain photo - 440239

 By www.rawpixel.com
photo
Next
Bye