Now You See a Tail, Now You Don't

Galex_glx2010-02f_img03_1024

galex_glx2010-02f_img03 June 17th, 2010

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SDSS

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found a tail behind a galaxy called IC 3418. The star-studded tail can be seen on the left, as detected by the space telescope in ultraviolet light. The tail has escaped detection in visible light, as shown by the image on the right, taken by a visible-light telescope on the ground. This tail was created as the galaxy plunged into gas in a family of galaxies known as the Virgo cluster.

The image on the left is a composite of data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (far-ultraviolet light is dark blue and near-ultraviolet light is light blue); and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (visible light is colored green and red). The image on the right is from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Other galaxies and stars can be seen scattered throughout the image. Another galaxy called IC 3413, which is part of the Virgo cluster, can be seen to the right of IC 3418 as an oval-shaped blob. The bright large dot at upper right is a star in our Milky Way galaxy.

Provider: Galaxy Evolution Explorer

Image Source: http://www.galex.caltech.edu/media/glx2010-02f_img01.html

Curator: Galaxy Evolutin Explorer, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

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  • Full Size Image (2700 x 2700)

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
IC 3418
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Irregular

Distance

Universescale2
54,000,000 light years
Galex_glx2010-02f_img03_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 12h 29m 43.8s
DEC = 11° 24’ 9.4”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
18.0 x 18.0 arcminutes
Constellation
Virgo

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue SDSS Optical (B-band) 440.0 nm
Green SDSS Optical (G-band) 476.0 nm
Red SDSS Optical (R-band) 700.0 nm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Green
Red
Galex_glx2010-02f_img03_1280
×
ID
glx2010-02f_img03
Subject Category
C.5.1.6.  
Subject Name
IC 3418
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SDSS
Release Date
2010-06-17
Lightyears
54,000,000
Redshift
0.085600
Reference Url
http://www.galex.caltech.edu/media/glx2010-02f_img01.html
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
SDSS, SDSS, SDSS
Instrument
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass
B-band, G-band, R-band
Central Wavelength
440, 476, 700
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
187.432580, 11.402600
Reference Dimension
2700, 2700
Reference Pixel
1350.5, 1350.5
Scale
-1.11111000000000e-04, 1.11111000000000e-04
Rotation
0
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Galaxy Evolutin Explorer
URL
http://www.galex.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Publisher ID
galex
Resource ID
Resource URL
/image/galex/glx2010-02f_img03
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2024-02-27T00:09:30Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
54,000,000 light years

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