M102：盘状星系
(原标题: M102: Edge-on Disk Galaxy)
2024-03-06
浏览次数: 14
这是什么天体？一个相对正常的星系——但从它的边缘看。许多盘状星系实际上和NGC 5866一样薄，也就是上图中的纺锤形星系，但从我们的有利位置看不出来。一个也许更熟悉的星系是我们自己的银河系。纺锤形星系也被编目为M102，它有许多复杂的尘埃带，呈暗红色，而圆盘上许多明亮的恒星使它的底层色调更蓝。在这张哈勃图像中，可以看到年轻恒星的蓝色圆盘延伸到极薄的银河平面上的尘埃中。有证据表明，梭形星系在过去的大约10亿年里蚕食了较小的星系，包括多个暗淡的恒星流、从主星系面延伸出来的暗尘埃，以及周围的一群星系（未显示）。一般来说，许多盘状星系变薄是因为形成它们的气体在围绕引力中心旋转时与自身发生碰撞。纺锤座星系位于距离天龙座约5000万光年的地方。
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What kind of celestial object is this? A relatively normal galaxy -- but seen from its edge. Many disk galaxies are actually just as thin as NGC 5866, the Spindle galaxy, pictured here, but are not seen edge-on from our vantage point. A perhaps more familiar galaxy seen edge-on is our own Milky Way galaxy. Also cataloged as M102, the Spindle galaxy has numerous and complex dust lanes appearing dark and red, while many of the bright stars in the disk give it a more blue underlying hue. The blue disk of young stars can be seen in this Hubble image extending past the dust in the extremely thin galactic plane. There is evidence that the Spindle galaxy has cannibalized smaller galaxies over the past billion years or so, including multiple streams of faint stars, dark dust that extends away from the main galactic plane, and a surrounding group of galaxies (not shown). In general, many disk galaxies become thin because the gas that forms them collides with itself as it rotates about the gravitational center. The Spindle galaxy lies about 50 million light years distant toward the constellation of the Dragon (Draco).