Der Schmetterlingseffekt
Rund 60 Millionen Lichtjahre entfernt, im Sternbild Virgo (Jungfrau), beginnen die beiden Galaxien NGC 4567 und NGC 4568, wegen ihres flügelartigen Aussehens auch Schmetterlingsgalaxien genannt, zu kollidieren und miteinander zu verschmelzen. Das erkennt man in diesem Bild, das vom FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph 2 (FORS2)-Instrument aufgenommen wurde, welches am Very Large Telescope (VLT) der ESO am Paranal-Observatorium in den chilenischen Anden installiert ist.
Die Kollision von Galaxien ist nichts Ungewöhnliches im Universum. Man könnte meinen dies wären heftige Katastrophen, doch in Wirklichkeit verlaufen sie recht friedlich, wie ein Walzer der von Sternen, Gas und Staub getanzt wird, nach einer Choreographie der Gravitation. Eine solche Kollision wird wohl auch das Schicksal der Milchstraße sein, die nach Auffassung der Wissenschaft eine ähnliche Begegnung mit unserer Nachbargalaxie, dem Andromedanebel, haben wird.
FORS2 wird auch manchmal das „Schweizer Taschenmesser“ vom Paranal genannt, da es extrem vielseitig und daher wohl auch das am meisten nachgefragte Instrument ist. Neben dem Aufnehmen von Bildern wie dieses hier, kann es auch Spektren von mehreren Dutzend Objekten gleichzeitig aufzeichnen oder polarisiertes Licht untersuchen.
Das Bild wurde im Rahmen des ESO Cosmic Gems Programms aufgenommen, einer ESO-Initiative, die Bilder von wissenschaftlich interessanten und optisch ansprechenden Objekten zum Zwecke der Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und des Unterrichts sammelt. Das Programm nutzt Teleskopzeit, die für wissenschaftliche Beobachtungen nicht geeignet wäre. Die gesammelten Daten können auch für wissenschaftliche Zwecke genutzt werden und werden daher den Astronomen über das ESO-Wissenschaftsarchiv zur Verfügung gestellt.
Bildnachweis:ESO
Über das Bild
| ID: | potw2204a |
| Sprache: | de-at |
| Typ: | Beobachtung |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 24. Januar 2022 06:00 |
| Größe: | 2802 x 2780 px |
Über das Objekt
| Name: | Butterfly galaxies |
| Typ: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Entfernung: | 60 Million Lichtjahre |
| Constellation: | Virgo |
Bildschirm-Hintergrundbilder
Koordinaten
| Position (RA): | 12 36 33.24 |
| Position (Dec): | 11° 14' 41.92" |
| Field of view: | 5.88 x 5.83 arcminutes |
| Orientierung: | Die Nordrichtung liegt 90.1° links zur Vertikale |
Farben & Filter
| Spektralbereich | Wellenlänge | Teleskop |
|---|---|---|
| Optisch b | 440 nm | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optisch v | 557 nm | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optisch R | 655 nm | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optisch H-alpha | 660 nm | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
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