This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope picture options the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3059, which lies about 57 million light-years from Earth. Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 collected the information in Might 2024 as a part of an observing program that studied plenty of galaxies. All the observations used the identical vary of filters: partially clear supplies that permit solely very particular wavelengths of sunshine to move via.
Astronomers use filters extensively of their observations. These filters could permit both extraordinarily slender or considerably broader ranges of sunshine via to the telescope’s devices. Slim-band filters are invaluable from a scientific perspective as a result of they filter particular wavelengths of sunshine which are related to particular bodily and chemical processes.
For instance, below sure situations, hydrogen atoms emit purple mild with a wavelength worth of 656.46 nanometers referred to as H-alpha emission, or the “H-alpha line.” It is rather helpful to astronomers as a result of its presence signifies sure physical processes and situations and is usually a tell-tale signal of newly forming stars.
The info on this picture used a narrow-band filter that allowed H-alpha emission via to the telescope’s detectors. The actual filter, referred to as F657N (F for filter, N for slender, and 657 for the wavelength in nanometers) or the H-alpha filter, lets via mild very near the 656.46 nanometer H-alpha line’s wavelength. It reveals pinkish star-forming areas within the galaxy.
Information from 5 different wide-band filters additionally contributed to this picture. As their title implies, wide-band filters permit a wider vary of wavelengths via to Hubble’s devices. They isolate sections of the electromagnetic spectrum permitting astronomers to discover totally different points of the thing Hubble is .
Within the case of this picture, wide-band filters revealed the bluish patches that maintain older stars. As well as, info from a number of filters supplies picture processors with the information to make lovely and informative photographs resembling this one.
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Hubble examines a barred spiral’s mild (2024, June 7)
retrieved 7 June 2024
from https://phys.org/information/2024-06-hubble-barred-spiral.html
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