Rare Galaxy Alignment Observed by UA Astronomers

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ‚ An image showing a rare alignment of two spiral galaxies, as viewed by two University of Alabama astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, was made public today.

Dr. William Keel, professor of astronomy, said the chance positioning of the two galaxies gives astronomers a more detailed view of the front galaxy and thereby a better understanding of galaxies in general.

“In essence, we used one galaxy as a back light for the other one,” Keel said. “That way we could see, as accurately as possible, where the interstellar dust is and how much there is. This discovery helps us know what we’re missing when we look at typical galaxies.”

Without the light provided by the back galaxy, much of the visible detail of the front galaxy, including the star dust, is lost, Keel said.

Keel and Dr. Raymond White, a UA professor of physics and astronomy, worked over a four-year period to determine which galaxies offered the best possibilities for this level of detailed viewing. This included sifting through ground-based images and taking multiple observing trips to Lowell Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory, both in Arizona, and trips to Cerro Tololo, Chile.

“The biggest work involved was sorting through catalogs of galaxies and finding the best ones. You have to look around far enough to let the universe do the experiment for you.”

The galaxy pair, known as NGC 3314, was selected as the Hubble Heritage Project image release of the month and may be viewed via the Internet at http://heritage.stsci.edu It can also temporarily be viewed at www.nasa.gov

Contact

Chris Bryant, Assistant Director of Media Relations, 205/348-8323

Source

Dr. William Keel, 205/348-1641Dr. Raymond White, 301/286-1364