保护地球，探索宇宙，发现文明
2023年9月13日 NGC 4632: Galaxy with a Hidden Polar Ring Credit: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba), Nathan Deg (Queen’s University) & WALLABY Survey, CSIRO/ASKAP, NAOJ/Subaru Telescope; Text: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba) Explanation: Galaxy NGC 4632 hides a secret from optical telescopes. It is surrounded by a ring of cool hydrogen gas orbiting at 90 deg...
2023年8月23日 The Meteor and the Galaxy Credit & Copyright: Jose Pedrero Explanation: It came from outer space. It — in this case a sand-sized bit of a comet nucleus — was likely ejected many years ago from Sun-orbiting Comet Swift-Tuttle, but then continued to orbit the Sun alone. When the Earth crossed through this orbit, the piece of comet d...
2023年7月27日 Galaxies in the River Image Credit & License: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA; R. Colombari, M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab) Explanation: Large galaxies grow by eating small ones. Even our own galaxy engages in a sort of galactic cannibalism, absorbing small galaxies that are too close and are captured by the Milky Way’s gravity...
2023年7月1日 Three Galaxies in Draco Image Credit & Copyright: David Vernet, Jean-François Bax, Serge Brunier, OCA/C2PU Explanation: This tantalizing trio of galaxies sometimes called the Draco Group, is located in the northern constellation of (you guessed it) Draco, the Dragon. From left to right are face-on spiral NGC 5985, elliptical galaxy NGC 5982, a...
2023年4月1日 NGC 2442: Galaxy in Volans Image Credit & Copyright: Nicolas Rolland, Martin Pugh Explanation: Distorted galaxy NGC 2442 can be found in the southern constellation of the flying fish, (Piscis) Volans. Located about 50 million light-years away, the galaxy’s two spiral arms extending from a pronounced central bar give it a hook-shaped appe...
2023年3月7日 Deep Field: The Large Magellanic Cloud Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky (Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory, TWAN) Explanation: Is this a spiral galaxy? No. Actually, it is the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the largest satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way Galaxy. The LMC is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy because of its normally ...
2023年2月16日 The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies Image Credit & Copyright: Marco Lorenzi, Angus Lau, Tommy Tse Text: ChatGPT (apologies to Edgar Allen Poe) Explanation: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, O’er volumes of astronomy and forgotten lore, I stumbled upon this snapshot, cosmic and eerie, A sight that filled my heart wi...
2022年6月11日 The Road and the Milky Way Image Credit & Copyright: David Cruz Explanation: At night you can follow this road as it passes through the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve not too far from Alentejo, Portugal. Or you could stop, look up, and follow the Milky Way through the sky. Both stretch from horizon to horizon in this 180 degree panorama recorded on...
2022年6月10日 Arp 286: Trio in Virgo Image Credit & Copyright: Nicolas Rolland, Telescope.Live Explanation: This colorful telescopic field of view features a trio of interacting galaxies almost 90 million light-years away, toward the constellation Virgo. On the right two spiky, foreground Milky Way stars echo the extragalactic hues, a reminder that stars i...
2021年10月28日 Mirach’s Ghost Image Credit & Copyright: John Chumack Explanation: As far as ghosts go, Mirach’s Ghost isn’t really that scary. Mirach’s Ghost is just a faint, fuzzy galaxy, well known to astronomers, that happens to be seen nearly along the line-of-sight to Mirach, a bright star. Centered in this star field, Mirach i...