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NASA’s Webb Digs into Structural Origins of Disk Galaxies
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NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Tsukui (Australian National University).
Present-day disk galaxies often contain a thick, star-filled outer disk and an embedded thin disk of stars. For instance, our own Milky Way galaxy’s thick disk is approximately 3,000 light-years in height, and its thin disk is roughly 1,000 light-years thick.
How and why does this dual disk structure form? By analyzing archival data from multiple observational programs by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a team of astronomers is closer to answers, as well as understanding the origins of disk galaxies in general.
The team carefully identified, visually verified, and analyzed a statistical sample of 111 edge-on disk galaxies at various periods — up to 11 billion years ago (or approximately 2.8 billion years after the big bang). This is the first time scientists have investigated thick- and thin-disk structures spanning such vast distances, bridging the gap between observers probing the early universe and galactic archaeologists seeking to understand our own galaxy’s history.
“This unique measurement of the thickness of the disks at high redshift, or at times in the early universe, is a benchmark for theoretical study that was only possible with Webb,” said Takafumi Tsukui, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra. “Usually, the older, thick disk stars are faint, and the young, thin disk stars outshine the entire galaxy. But with Webb’s resolution and unique ability to see through dust and highlight faint old stars, we can identify the two-disk structure of galaxies and measure their thickness separately.”
Image: A Sample of Galaxy Disks (NIRCam) Astronomers pulled from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s data to analyze a sample of 111 edge-on galaxies. The team’s analysis suggests that thick disk formation occurs first, and thin disk formation follows. When this process occurs depends on the galaxy’s mass. NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Tsukui (Australian National University). Data Through Thick and Thin
By analyzing these 111 targets over cosmological time, the team was able to study single-disk galaxies and double-disk galaxies. Their results indicate that galaxies form a thick disk first, followed by a thin disk. The timing of when this takes place is dependent on the galaxy’s mass: high-mass, single-disk galaxies transitioned to two-disk structures around 8 billion years ago. In contrast, low-mass, single-disk galaxies formed their embedded thin disks later on, about 4 billion years ago.
“This is the first time it has been possible to resolve thin stellar disks at higher redshift. What’s really novel is uncovering when thin stellar disks start to emerge,” said Emily Wisnioski, a co-author of the paper at the Australian National University in Canberra. “To see thin stellar disks already in place 8 billion years ago, or even earlier, was surprising.”
A Turbulent Time for GalaxiesTo explain this transition from a single, thick disk to a thick and thin disk, and the difference in timing for high- and low-mass galaxies, the team looked beyond their initial edge-on galaxy sample and examined data showing gas in motion from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and ground-based surveys.
By taking into consideration the motion of the galaxies’ gas disks, the team finds their results align with the “turbulent gas disk” scenario, one of three major hypotheses that has been proposed to explain the process of thick- and thin-disk formation. In this scenario, a turbulent gas disk in the early universe sparks intense star formation, forming a thick stellar disk. As stars form, they stabilize the gas disk, which becomes less turbulent and, as a result, thinner.
Since massive galaxies can more efficiently convert gas into stars, they settle sooner than their low-mass counterparts, resulting in the earlier formation of thin disks. The team notes that thick- and thin-disk formation are not siloed events: The thick disk continues to grow as the galaxy develops, though it’s slower than the thin disk’s rate of growth.
How This Applies to HomeWebb’s sensitivity is enabling astronomers to observe smaller and fainter galaxies, analogous to our own, at early times and with unprecedented clarity for the first time. In this study, the team noted that the transition period from thick disk to a thick and thin disk roughly coincides with the formation of the Milky Way galaxy’s thin disk. With Webb, astronomers will be able to further investigate Milky Way-like progenitors — galaxies that would have preceded the Milky Way — which could help explain our galaxy’s formation history.
In the future, the team intends to incorporate other data points into their edge-on galaxy sample.
“While this study structurally distinguishes thin and thick disks, there is still much more we would like to explore,” said Tsukui. “We want to add the type of information people usually get for nearby galaxies, like stellar motion, age, and metallicity. By doing so, we can bridge the insights from galaxies near and far, and refine our understanding of disk formation.”
These results were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
To learn more about Webb, visit:
DownloadsClick any image to open a larger version.
View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
View/Download the research results from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Media ContactsLaura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Abigail Major – amajor@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Article: Types of Galaxies
Video: Celestial Tour: Different types of galaxies
Article: Learn more about Webb’s views of nearby spiral galaxies
Visualization Video: Galaxy Traverse
Related For Kids En Español Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space TelescopeWebb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
Galaxies
Galaxies Stories
Universe
Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2025 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
NASA’s Webb Digs into Structural Origins of Disk Galaxies
- Webb
- News
- Overview
- Science
- Observatory
- Multimedia
- Team
- More
NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Tsukui (Australian National University).
Present-day disk galaxies often contain a thick, star-filled outer disk and an embedded thin disk of stars. For instance, our own Milky Way galaxy’s thick disk is approximately 3,000 light-years in height, and its thin disk is roughly 1,000 light-years thick.
How and why does this dual disk structure form? By analyzing archival data from multiple observational programs by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a team of astronomers is closer to answers, as well as understanding the origins of disk galaxies in general.
The team carefully identified, visually verified, and analyzed a statistical sample of 111 edge-on disk galaxies at various periods — up to 11 billion years ago (or approximately 2.8 billion years after the big bang). This is the first time scientists have investigated thick- and thin-disk structures spanning such vast distances, bridging the gap between observers probing the early universe and galactic archaeologists seeking to understand our own galaxy’s history.
“This unique measurement of the thickness of the disks at high redshift, or at times in the early universe, is a benchmark for theoretical study that was only possible with Webb,” said Takafumi Tsukui, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra. “Usually, the older, thick disk stars are faint, and the young, thin disk stars outshine the entire galaxy. But with Webb’s resolution and unique ability to see through dust and highlight faint old stars, we can identify the two-disk structure of galaxies and measure their thickness separately.”
Image: A Sample of Galaxy Disks (NIRCam) Astronomers pulled from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s data to analyze a sample of 111 edge-on galaxies. The team’s analysis suggests that thick disk formation occurs first, and thin disk formation follows. When this process occurs depends on the galaxy’s mass. NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Tsukui (Australian National University). Data Through Thick and ThinBy analyzing these 111 targets over cosmological time, the team was able to study single-disk galaxies and double-disk galaxies. Their results indicate that galaxies form a thick disk first, followed by a thin disk. The timing of when this takes place is dependent on the galaxy’s mass: high-mass, single-disk galaxies transitioned to two-disk structures around 8 billion years ago. In contrast, low-mass, single-disk galaxies formed their embedded thin disks later on, about 4 billion years ago.
“This is the first time it has been possible to resolve thin stellar disks at higher redshift. What’s really novel is uncovering when thin stellar disks start to emerge,” said Emily Wisnioski, a co-author of the paper at the Australian National University in Canberra. “To see thin stellar disks already in place 8 billion years ago, or even earlier, was surprising.”
A Turbulent Time for GalaxiesTo explain this transition from a single, thick disk to a thick and thin disk, and the difference in timing for high- and low-mass galaxies, the team looked beyond their initial edge-on galaxy sample and examined data showing gas in motion from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and ground-based surveys.
By taking into consideration the motion of the galaxies’ gas disks, the team finds their results align with the “turbulent gas disk” scenario, one of three major hypotheses that has been proposed to explain the process of thick- and thin-disk formation. In this scenario, a turbulent gas disk in the early universe sparks intense star formation, forming a thick stellar disk. As stars form, they stabilize the gas disk, which becomes less turbulent and, as a result, thinner.
Since massive galaxies can more efficiently convert gas into stars, they settle sooner than their low-mass counterparts, resulting in the earlier formation of thin disks. The team notes that thick- and thin-disk formation are not siloed events: The thick disk continues to grow as the galaxy develops, though it’s slower than the thin disk’s rate of growth.
How This Applies to HomeWebb’s sensitivity is enabling astronomers to observe smaller and fainter galaxies, analogous to our own, at early times and with unprecedented clarity for the first time. In this study, the team noted that the transition period from thick disk to a thick and thin disk roughly coincides with the formation of the Milky Way galaxy’s thin disk. With Webb, astronomers will be able to further investigate Milky Way-like progenitors — galaxies that would have preceded the Milky Way — which could help explain our galaxy’s formation history.
In the future, the team intends to incorporate other data points into their edge-on galaxy sample.
“While this study structurally distinguishes thin and thick disks, there is still much more we would like to explore,” said Tsukui. “We want to add the type of information people usually get for nearby galaxies, like stellar motion, age, and metallicity. By doing so, we can bridge the insights from galaxies near and far, and refine our understanding of disk formation.”
These results were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
To learn more about Webb, visit:
DownloadsClick any image to open a larger version.
View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
View/Download the research results from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Media ContactsLaura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Abigail Major – amajor@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Article: Types of Galaxies
Video: Celestial Tour: Different types of galaxies
Article: Learn more about Webb’s views of nearby spiral galaxies
Visualization Video: Galaxy Traverse
Related For Kids En Español Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space TelescopeWebb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
Galaxies
Galaxies Stories
Universe
Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2025 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
Rubin Observatory takes its 1st look at the night skies | Space photo of the day for June 26, 2025
Cosmic images from the world's largest digital camera are so big they require a 'data butler'
NASA, Australia Team Up for Artemis II Lunar Laser Communications Test
As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, researchers at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are collaborating with The Australian National University (ANU) to prove inventive, cost-saving laser communications technologies in the lunar environment.
Communicating in space usually relies on radio waves, but NASA is exploring laser, or optical, communications, which can send data 10 to 100 times faster to the ground. Instead of radio signals, these systems use infrared light to transmit high-definition video, picture, voice, and science data across vast distances in less time. NASA has proven laser communications during previous technology demonstrations, but Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to attempt using lasers to transmit data from deep space.
To support this effort, researchers working on the agency’s Real Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) project have developed a cost-effective laser transceiver using commercial-off-the-shelf parts. Earlier this year, NASA Glenn engineers built and tested a replica of the system at the center’s Aerospace Communications Facility, and they are now working with ANU to build a system with the same hardware models to prepare for the university’s Artemis II laser communications demo.
“Australia’s upcoming lunar experiment could showcase the capability, affordability, and reproducibility of the deep space receiver engineered by Glenn,” said Jennifer Downey, co-principal investigator for the RealTOR project at NASA Glenn. “It’s an important step in proving the feasibility of using commercial parts to develop accessible technologies for sustainable exploration beyond Earth.”
During Artemis II, which is scheduled for early 2026, NASA will fly an optical communications system aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will test using lasers to send data across the cosmos. During the mission, NASA will attempt to transmit recorded 4K ultra-high-definition video, flight procedures, pictures, science data, and voice communications from the Moon to Earth.
Nearly 10,000 miles from Cleveland, ANU researchers working at the Mount Stromlo Observatory ground station hope to receive data during Orion’s journey around the Moon using the Glenn-developed transceiver model. This ground station will serve as a test location for the new transceiver design and will not be one of the mission’s primary ground stations. If the test is successful, it will prove that commercial parts can be used to build affordable, scalable space communication systems for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“Engaging with The Australian National University to expand commercial laser communications offerings across the world will further demonstrate how this advanced satellite communications capability is ready to support the agency’s networks and missions as we set our sights on deep space exploration,” said Marie Piasecki, technology portfolio manager for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program.
As NASA continues to investigate the feasibility of using commercial parts to engineer ground stations, Glenn researchers will continue to provide critical support in preparation for Australia’s demonstration.
Strong global partnerships advance technology breakthroughs and are instrumental as NASA expands humanity’s reach from the Moon to Mars, while fueling innovations that improve life on Earth. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
The RealTOR project is one aspect of the optical communications portfolio within NASA’s SCaN Program, which includes demonstrations and in-space experiment platforms to test the viability of infrared light for sending data to and from space. These include the LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal) project, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, and more. NASA Glenn manages the project under the direction of agency’s SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The Australian National University’s demonstration is supported by the Australian Space Agency Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant program, which has facilitated operational capability for the Australian Deep Space Optical Ground Station Network.
To learn how space communications and navigation capabilities support every agency mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions
Explore More 3 min read NASA Engineers Simulate Lunar Lighting for Artemis III Moon Landing Article 1 week ago 2 min read NASA Seeks Commercial Feedback on Space Communication Solutions Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read NASA, DoD Practice Abort Scenarios Ahead of Artemis II Moon Mission Article 2 weeks agoNASA, Australia Team Up for Artemis II Lunar Laser Communications Test
As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, researchers at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are collaborating with The Australian National University (ANU) to prove inventive, cost-saving laser communications technologies in the lunar environment.
Communicating in space usually relies on radio waves, but NASA is exploring laser, or optical, communications, which can send data 10 to 100 times faster to the ground. Instead of radio signals, these systems use infrared light to transmit high-definition video, picture, voice, and science data across vast distances in less time. NASA has proven laser communications during previous technology demonstrations, but Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to attempt using lasers to transmit data from deep space.
To support this effort, researchers working on the agency’s Real Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) project have developed a cost-effective laser transceiver using commercial-off-the-shelf parts. Earlier this year, NASA Glenn engineers built and tested a replica of the system at the center’s Aerospace Communications Facility, and they are now working with ANU to build a system with the same hardware models to prepare for the university’s Artemis II laser communications demo.
“Australia’s upcoming lunar experiment could showcase the capability, affordability, and reproducibility of the deep space receiver engineered by Glenn,” said Jennifer Downey, co-principal investigator for the RealTOR project at NASA Glenn. “It’s an important step in proving the feasibility of using commercial parts to develop accessible technologies for sustainable exploration beyond Earth.”
During Artemis II, which is scheduled for early 2026, NASA will fly an optical communications system aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will test using lasers to send data across the cosmos. During the mission, NASA will attempt to transmit recorded 4K ultra-high-definition video, flight procedures, pictures, science data, and voice communications from the Moon to Earth.
Nearly 10,000 miles from Cleveland, ANU researchers working at the Mount Stromlo Observatory ground station hope to receive data during Orion’s journey around the Moon using the Glenn-developed transceiver model. This ground station will serve as a test location for the new transceiver design and will not be one of the mission’s primary ground stations. If the test is successful, it will prove that commercial parts can be used to build affordable, scalable space communication systems for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“Engaging with The Australian National University to expand commercial laser communications offerings across the world will further demonstrate how this advanced satellite communications capability is ready to support the agency’s networks and missions as we set our sights on deep space exploration,” said Marie Piasecki, technology portfolio manager for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program.
As NASA continues to investigate the feasibility of using commercial parts to engineer ground stations, Glenn researchers will continue to provide critical support in preparation for Australia’s demonstration.
Strong global partnerships advance technology breakthroughs and are instrumental as NASA expands humanity’s reach from the Moon to Mars, while fueling innovations that improve life on Earth. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
The RealTOR project is one aspect of the optical communications portfolio within NASA’s SCaN Program, which includes demonstrations and in-space experiment platforms to test the viability of infrared light for sending data to and from space. These include the LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal) project, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, and more. NASA Glenn manages the project under the direction of agency’s SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The Australian National University’s demonstration is supported by the Australian Space Agency Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant program, which has facilitated operational capability for the Australian Deep Space Optical Ground Station Network.
To learn how space communications and navigation capabilities support every agency mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions
Explore More 3 min read NASA Engineers Simulate Lunar Lighting for Artemis III Moon Landing Article 1 week ago 2 min read NASA Seeks Commercial Feedback on Space Communication Solutions Article 1 week ago 4 min read NASA, DoD Practice Abort Scenarios Ahead of Artemis II Moon Mission Article 2 weeks agoWhat sleep scientists recommend doing to fall asleep more easily
NASA’s Chandra Shares a New View of Our Galactic Neighbor
The Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31), is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way at a distance of about 2.5 million light-years. Astronomers use Andromeda to understand the structure and evolution of our own spiral, which is much harder to do since Earth is embedded inside the Milky Way.
The galaxy M31 has played an important role in many aspects of astrophysics, but particularly in the discovery of dark matter. In the 1960s, astronomer Vera Rubin and her colleagues studied M31 and determined that there was some unseen matter in the galaxy that was affecting how the galaxy and its spiral arms rotated. This unknown material was named “dark matter.” Its nature remains one of the biggest open questions in astrophysics today, one which NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is designed to help answer.
X-ray: NASA/CXO/UMass/Z. Li & Q.D. Wang, ESA/XMM-Newton; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE, Spitzer, NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Gordon (U. Az), ESA/Herschel, ESA/Planck, NASA/IRAS, NASA/COBE; Radio: NSF/GBT/WSRT/IRAM/C. Clark (STScI); Ultraviolet: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GALEX; Optical: Andromeda, Unexpected © Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, Yann Sainty & J. Sahner, T. Kottary. Composite image processing: L. Frattare, K. Arcand, J.Major
This new composite image contains data of M31 taken by some of the world’s most powerful telescopes in different kinds of light. This image includes X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton (represented in red, green, and blue); ultraviolet data from NASA’s retired GALEX (blue); optical data from astrophotographers using ground based telescopes (Jakob Sahner and Tarun Kottary); infrared data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, the Infrared Astronomy Satellite, COBE, Planck, and Herschel (red, orange, and purple); and radio data from the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (red-orange).
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) in Different Types of Light.X-ray: NASA/CXO/UMass/Z. Li & Q.D. Wang, ESA/XMM-Newton; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE, Spitzer, NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Gordon (U. Az), ESA/Herschel, ESA/Planck, NASA/IRAS, NASA/COBE; Radio: NSF/GBT/WSRT/IRAM/C. Clark (STScI); Ultraviolet: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GALEX; Optical: Andromeda, Unexpected © Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, Yann Sainty & J. Sahner, T. Kottary. Composite image processing: L. Frattare, K. Arcand, J.Major
Each type of light reveals new information about this close galactic relative to the Milky Way. For example, Chandra’s X-rays reveal the high-energy radiation around the supermassive black hole at the center of M31 as well as many other smaller compact and dense objects strewn across the galaxy. A recent paper about Chandra observations of M31 discusses the amount of X-rays produced by the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy over the last 15 years. One flare was observed in 2013, which appears to represent an amplification of the typical X-rays seen from the black hole.
These multi-wavelength datasets are also being released as a sonification, which includes the same wavelengths of data in the new composite. In the sonification, the layer from each telescope has been separated out and rotated so that they stack on top of each other horizontally, beginning with X-rays at the top and then moving through ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio at the bottom. As the scan moves from left to right in the sonification, each type of light is mapped to a different range of notes, from lower-energy radio waves up through the high energy of X-rays. Meanwhile, the brightness of each source controls volume, and the vertical location dictates the pitch.
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In this sonification of M31, the layers from each telescope has been separated out and rotated so that they stack on top of each other horizontally beginning with X-rays at the top and then moving through ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio at the bottom. As the scan moves from left to right in the sonification, each type of light is mapped to a different range of notes ranging from lower-energy radio waves up through the high-energy of X-rays. Meanwhile, the brightness of each source controls volume and the vertical location dictates the pitch.NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. SantaguidaThis new image of M31 is released in tribute to the groundbreaking legacy of Dr. Vera Rubin, whose observations transformed our understanding of the universe. Rubin’s meticulous measurements of Andromeda’s rotation curve provided some of the earliest and most convincing evidence that galaxies are embedded in massive halos of invisible material — what we now call dark matter. Her work challenged long-held assumptions and catalyzed a new era of research into the composition and dynamics of the cosmos. In recognition of her profound scientific contributions, the United States Mint has recently released a quarter in 2025 featuring Rubin as part of its American Women Quarters Program — making her the first astronomer honored in the series.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray ObservatoryLearn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
Visual DescriptionThis release features several images and a sonification video examining the Andromeda galaxy, our closest spiral galaxy neighbor. This collection helps astronomers understand the evolution of the Milky Way, our own spiral galaxy, and provides a fascinating insight into astronomical data gathering and presentation.
Like all spiral galaxies viewed at this distance and angle, Andromeda appears relatively flat. Its spiraling arms circle around a bright core, creating a disk shape, like a large dinner plate. In most of the images in this collection, Andromeda’s flat surface is tilted to face our upper left.
This collection features data from some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, each capturing light in a different spectrum. In each single-spectrum image, Andromeda has a similar shape and orientation, but the colors and details are dramatically different.
In radio waves, the spiraling arms appear red and orange, like a burning, loosely coiled rope. The center appears black, with no core discernible. In infrared light, the outer arms are similarly fiery. Here, a white spiraling ring encircles a blue center with a small golden core. The optical image is hazy and grey, with spiraling arms like faded smoke rings. Here, the blackness of space is dotted with specks of light, and a small bright dot glows at the core of the galaxy. In ultraviolet light the spiraling arms are icy blue and white, with a hazy white ball at the core. No spiral arms are present in the X-ray image, making the bright golden core and nearby stars clear and easy to study.
In this release, the single-spectrum images are presented side by side for easy comparison. They are also combined into a composite image. In the composite, Andromeda’s spiraling arms are the color of red wine near the outer edges, and lavender near the center. The core is large and bright, surrounded by a cluster of bright blue and green specks. Other small flecks in a variety of colors dot the galaxy, and the blackness of space surrounding it.
This release also features a thirty second video, which sonifies the collected data. In the video, the single-spectrum images are stacked vertically, one atop the other. As the video plays, an activation line sweeps across the stacked images from left to right. Musical notes ring out when the line encounters light. The lower the wavelength energy, the lower the pitches of the notes. The brighter the source, the louder the volume.
News Media ContactMegan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
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Tonight's Perseid Meteor Shower May Be Dipped in Aurora Sauce
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 9 – 18
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The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 9 – 18 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Prepare for the Perseids and a Pretty Planetary Pairing
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The post The Hubble Ultra-Deep Field, 15 Years Later appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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The post Neutron Stars Might Be Squishy Inside appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Enroll in the School of Stars
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 2 – 11
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The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 2 – 11 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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August Podcast: Nova Watch in the Northern Crown
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The post August Podcast: Nova Watch in the Northern Crown appeared first on Sky & Telescope.