Galaxias Noticias

NGC 4192: una galaxia repleta de estrellas jóvenes

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The colour blue has many associations — coldness, sadness, serenity. However, the colour holds a completely different meaning for astronomers, as demonstrated by the edge-on spiral galaxy Messier 98. Messier 98, also known as NGC 4192, is located approximately 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair). In this spectacular image from ESO’s New Technology Telescope (NTT), the galaxy’s perimeter, rippled with gas and dust, is dotted with pockets of blueish light. These are regions filled with very young stars, which are so hot that they glow with a bright blue hue. These young stars are burning at such high temperatures that they are emitting fierce radiation, burning away some of the dense material that surrounds them. In total, Messier 98 is thought to contain one trillion stars! The NTT is a 3.58-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory, which pioneered the use of active optics and was the first in the world to have a computer-controlled main mirror.

Esta imagen muestra a la galaxia espiral Messier 98, también conocida como NGC 4192, se encuentra aproximadamente a unos 50 millones años luz de distancia, en la constelación de Coma Berenices. El perímetro de la galaxia, ondulado por el gas y el polvo, está cubierto por puntos de luz azulada. Se trata de regiones llenas de estrellas muy jóvenes, tan calientes que resplandecen en un tono azul brillante. Estas estrellas jóvenes arden a temperaturas tan altas que emiten una feroz radiación, quemando parte del denso material que las rodea. En total, se cree que Messier 98 puede contener hasta un billón de estrellas.

Crédito: ESO