The Infrared Face of the Andromeda Galaxy

Spitzer_ssc2024-02a_1024

spitzer_ssc2024-02a May 9th, 2024

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This newly-processed infrared image of the Andromeda galaxy uses data from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope to show off the disk of stars and clouds of dust that fill our Milky Way Galaxy’s largest neighbor. The image spans a wide swath of sky nearly 3.8 degrees across, which is close to the width of eight full moons stacked side-by-side.

Infrared light provides a powerful tool for studying how new generations of stars are being formed in galaxies like Andromeda. Dust clouds in visible light are only seen as they block the light of background stars, but light up at longer infrared wavelengths.

The dust clouds in Andromeda form a ring running through the pancake-like disk of stars, along which we can see many areas in which new stars are being formed. However, arcs of dust found near the center of the galaxy provide a hint of the supermassive black hole that lies here.

In this image, starlight glows at wavelengths of 3.6 & 4.5 microns, blended in colors of blue and cyan. Dust dominates at 8 microns, tracing the glow of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that light up under the illumination of the surrounding stars. The thermal glow of dust at 24 microns is added in as green, blending with the red dust channel to produce orange-yellow highlights at the hottest dust clouds associated with newly-forming stars.

Data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Space Explorer (WISE) fills in the areas not mapped by Spitzer, mostly containing foreground stars in the Milky Way.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/image/ssc2024-02a-the-infrared-face-of-the-andromeda-galaxy

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/page/image-use-policy

Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Andromeda Galaxy M31 Messier 31
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance Details Distance

Universescale2
2,500,000 light years
Spitzer_ssc2024-02a_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 0h 42m 44.3s
DEC = 41° 16’ 8.5”
Orientation
North is 49.8° CCW
Field of View
3.9 x 1.7 degrees
Constellation
Andromeda

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared 3.6 µm
Cyan Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared 4.5 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared 8.0 µm
Green Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared 20.0 µm
Spectrum_ir1
Blue
Cyan
Red
Green
Spitzer_ssc2024-02a_1280
×
ID
ssc2024-02a
Subject Category
C.5.1.1.  
Subject Name
Andromeda Galaxy, M31, Messier 31
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Release Date
2024-05-09
Lightyears
2,500,000
Redshift
2,500,000
Reference Url
https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/image/ssc2024-02a-the-infrared-face-of-the-andromeda-galaxy
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, IRAC, MIPS
Color Assignment
Blue, Cyan, Red, Green
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 8000, 20000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
10.684685, 41.26904
Reference Dimension
16151, 6971
Reference Pixel
8239.26, 2657.89
Scale
-0.000239631, 0.000239631
Rotation
49.840000
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/page/image-use-policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
Metadata Date
2024-05-09T18:45:37Z
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
2,500,000 light years

Providers | Sign In