A triumph of galaxies in three new images from the VLT Survey Telescope

Distant galaxies, interacting galaxies, whose form has been solid by the mutual gravitational affect, but in addition galaxies forming teams and clusters, saved collectively by gravity—they’re the protagonists of three new photos launched by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST).

VST is an optical telescope with a 2.6 m diameter mirror, fully in-built Italy, that has been working since 2011 on the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chile. Since 2022, the telescope has been absolutely managed by INAF via the Nationwide Coordination Middle for VST, based mostly on the INAF premises in Naples.

VST is specialised in observing massive areas of the sky because of its wide field camera, OmegaCAM, an precise “cosmic wide-angle lens” in a position to seize, in every shot, one sq. diploma of the sky, a portion of the celestial vault twice as massive because the full moon’s obvious diameter on both sides.

Moreover photos for astrophysics analysis, spanning from stars to galaxies all the way in which to cosmology, up to now 12 months the telescope has carried out a brand new program devoted to most of the people, observing nebulae, galaxies and different iconic objects throughout some full moon nights, when the brightness of our pure satellite disturbs the gathering of scientific information. Extra photos can be revealed within the coming months.

“Moreover scientific research, one of many objectives of the VST Middle is to disseminate scientific data and to share the wonders of the universe with most of the people. We particularly want that younger individuals can uncover and nurture their curiosity in astrophysics via these wonderful photos,” notes Enrichetta Iodice, INAF researcher in Naples and chargeable for the nationwide Coordination Middle for VST.

One of many three new photos portrays ESO 510-G13, a curious lenticular galaxy about 150 million light years from us, within the path of the Hydra constellation. The central bulge of the galaxy stands out. The darkish silhouette of the dust disk, seen from the sting, crosses the bulge, obscuring a part of the sunshine.

The disk’s distorted form, vaguely resembling an upside-down S, signifies the turbulent previous of ESO 510-G13, which can have acquired its present look following a collision with one other galaxy. Within the decrease proper nook, among the many many stars of the Milky Way scattered throughout the picture, a pair of spiral galaxies about 250 million gentle years from us are additionally seen.

Zooming into the picture, many extra galaxies seem, even at better distances, as small spots of sunshine elongated among the many many dots within the background.

The second picture reveals a small group of 4 galaxies, known as Hickson Compact Group 90 (HGC 90), which is about 100 million gentle years away from Earth, in the direction of the Piscis Austrinus constellation. The 2 spherical, shiny spots close to the picture heart are the elliptical galaxies NGC 7173 and NGC 7176. The brilliant streak that bifurcates and connects these two galaxies is the third member of the group, the spiral galaxy NGC 7174: its curious form signifies the continuing interplay between the three celestial our bodies, which has stripped their stars and gasoline, mixing up their distribution. A halo of diffuse gentle envelops the three galaxies.

The fourth galaxy belonging to the group, NGC 7172, seen within the higher a part of the picture, doesn’t appear to take part on this celestial dance: its core, crossed by darkish clouds of dust, hides a supermassive black hole that has been actively devouring the encircling materials. The HGC 90 quartet of galaxies is embedded in a a lot bigger construction, together with dozens of galaxies, a few of that are seen on this picture.

The third picture reveals a a lot richer and much more distant grouping of galaxies: the Abell 1689 galaxy cluster, which could be noticed within the path of the Virgo constellation.

Abell 1689 accommodates greater than 200 galaxies, principally seen as yellow-orange blobs, whose gentle has traveled for about two billion years earlier than reaching the VST. The large mass, together with monumental portions of sizzling gasoline and of the mysterious dark matter along with the galaxies, deforms space-time within the neighborhood of the cluster.

Subsequently, the cluster acts as a “gravitational lens” on extra distant galaxies, amplifying their gentle and producing distorted photos, very similar to what a magnifying glass does. A few of these galaxies could be noticed as dots and tiny, barely curved traces, particularly across the cluster’s central areas.