Found: a missing hot halo.X-ray observations of the massive spiral galaxy NGC NGC New General Catalogue (of Nebulae and Star Clusters; astronomy) NGC National Geographic Channel (TV) NGC National Guideline Clearinghouse 5746 reveal a spherical halo of hot gas (blue) extending 60,000 light-years on either side of the galaxy's visible disk (seen edge on as a large white streak). Because NGC 5746, which is 100 million light-years from Earth, doesn't form stars prodigiously or have an energetic core, it's not likely that the halo is gas streaming from the galaxy. Instead, it's probably composed of inflowing material left over from the galaxy's formation. NASA's orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory Chandra X-ray Observatory U.S. X-ray space telescope. It was named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and was launched into orbit in 1999. Its mirror, with an aperture of 1.2 m (4 ft) and a focal length of 10 m (33 ft), produces unprecedented resolution. recorded the halo, and the galaxy's disk was captured by a visible-light telescope on Earth. Although galaxy-formation models have predicted halos of inflowing gas around massive spirals, this is the first such halo that astronomers Famous astronomers and astrophysicists include: Directory: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. released the image on Feb. 3. |
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