Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day 1-16-03
NASA ^ | 1-16-03 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

Posted on 01/16/2003 5:19:30 AM PST by petuniasevan

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2003 January 16
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.

NGC 1700: Elliptical Galaxy and Rotating Disk
Credit: Thomas S. Statler, Brian R. McNamara (Ohio Univ.), CXC, NASA

Explanation: In spiral galaxies, majestic winding arms of young stars and interstellar gas and dust rotate in a disk around a bulging galactic nucleus. Elliptical galaxies seem to be simpler, randomly swarming with old stars and lacking gas and dust. So astronomers were excited to find that NGC 1700, a young elliptical galaxy about 160 million light-years away, shows evidence for a 90,000 light-year wide rotating disk of multi-million degree hot gas. The evidence comes from data recorded by the orbiting Chandra Observatory, whose sharp x-ray image of NGC 1700 is seen above. Balancing gravity, the rotation of the x-ray hot disk, the largest of its type yet discovered, gives the galaxy a pronounced boxy profile in this false-color picture. Theories about the origin of the disk suggest that NGC 1700 may be the result of a cosmic scale galactic merger, perhaps between a spiral and elliptical galaxy. NGC 1700 is just visible with small telescopes toward the flowing constellation Eridanus.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; chandra; disk; dust; elliptical; galaxy; gas; image; merger; orbiter; photography; rotation; space; stars; telescope; xray
This may be vindication of the theory that elliptical galaxies originate from mergers of other, usually spiral, galaxies.

Here's a Java program that will show you where all our various satellites and orbiters are in Earth orbit. J-Track 3-D.

1 posted on 01/16/2003 5:19:30 AM PST by petuniasevan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MozartLover; Joan912; NovemberCharlie; snowfox; Dawgsquat; viligantcitizen; theDentist; ...

2 posted on 01/16/2003 5:21:27 AM PST by petuniasevan (This site is still free to use. But do the right thing. Help support FR!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Your Donation Helps Counter These Guys

Donate Here By Secure Server

Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794

or you can use

PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

3 posted on 01/16/2003 5:22:34 AM PST by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: petuniasevan
Interesting! Thanks for the ping!
4 posted on 01/16/2003 5:22:44 AM PST by GodBlessRonaldReagan (where is Scotty Moore when we need him most?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: petuniasevan
Thanks for the ping & Good morning (-:
5 posted on 01/16/2003 5:55:11 AM PST by firewalk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: petuniasevan
Beautiful.
6 posted on 01/16/2003 7:29:06 AM PST by Soaring Feather (God Bless Our Troops)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: petuniasevan

7 posted on 01/16/2003 8:37:53 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (Bush IS a Genius! Now, just for grins: http://muffin.eggheads.org/images/funny/dogsmile.jpg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: petuniasevan
Thanks for the ping.
8 posted on 01/16/2003 5:52:10 PM PST by sistergoldenhair (Don't be a sheep. People hate sheep. They eat sheep.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson