File:Caldwell 32.jpg

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Caldwell 32

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DescriptionCaldwell 32.jpg	English: This stream of stars embedded in cosmic clouds is part of Caldwell 32, also cataloged as NGC 4631 and commonly called the Whale galaxy. Our edge-on view of this galaxy masks the spiral arms that extend outward into space, each overflowing with sparkling stars. The “belly” of the whale (on the left side of the image) is the galactic center, which is lit up by stars bursting into life along with gas that has been heated from supernova explosions. This bright light silhouettes bands of dense, darker material that lie between us and the Whale galaxy’s bright core. In the Whale galaxy’s “tail” (on the right side of the image) there is less dust but still areas of bright blue star formation, driven by interactions with neighboring galaxies. As gas and dust from different galaxies meet in space, denser areas are created, which gravity compacts into new stars. This Hubble image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys, shows an area that is about 140,000 light-years across. Hubble’s observations provide the opportunity to explore this galaxy in visible and near-infrared light, which, combined with X-ray observations from other telescopes, allow scientists to develop a more complete picture of ongoing galactic processes. Similar in size to the Milky Way, the Whale galaxy is a located about 25 million light-years away in the Canes Venatici constellation. It is one of the many Caldwell objects discovered by astronomer William Herschel. It has a magnitude of 9.2, requiring large binoculars or a telescope to see it. As one of the brighter Caldwell galaxies, it is a favorite among observers. Late spring skies in the Northern Hemisphere (or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere) will provide an optimal view of the Whale galaxy. For more information about Hubble’s observations of Caldwell 32, see: www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1146a/ Credit: NASA & ESA For Hubble's Caldwell catalog site and information on how to find these objects in the night sky, visit: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-s-caldwell-catalog
Date	14 November 2011, 10:00:00
Source	https://www.flickr.com/photos/144614754@N02/49199965331/
Author	NASA Hubble

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This image was originally posted to Flickr by NASA Hubble at https://flickr.com/photos/144614754@N02/49199965331 (archive). It was reviewed on 23 February 2020 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

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Date and time of data generation	10:00, 14 November 2011
Short title	The belly of the cosmic whale
Credit/Provider	NASA & ESA
Source	ESA/Hubble
Image title	The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into NGC 4631, better known as the Whale Galaxy. Here, a profusion of starbirth lights up the galactic centre, revealing bands of dark material between us and the starburst. The galaxy’s activity tapers off in its outer regions where there are fewer stars and less dust, but these are still punctuated by pockets of star formation. The Whale Galaxy is about 30 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) and is a spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. From our vantage point, however, we see the Whale Galaxy edge-on, seeing its glowing centre through dusty spiral arms. The galaxy's central bulge and asymmetric tapering disc have suggested the shape of a whale or a herring to past observers. Many supernovae — the explosions of hot, blue, short-lived stars at least eight times the mass of the Sun — have gone off in the core of the Whale Galaxy. The stellar pyrotechnics have bathed the galaxy in hot gas, visible to X-ray telescopes like ESA’s XMM–Newton. Comparing the optical and near-infrared observations from Hubble with other telescopes sensitive to different wavelengths of light helps astronomers gather the full story behind celestial phenomena. From such work, the triggers of the starburst in the Whale Galaxy and others can be elucidated. The gravitational "feeding" on intergalactic material, as well as clumping caused by the gravitational interactions with its galactic neighbours, creates the areas of greater density where stars start to coalesce. Just as blue whales, the biggest creatures on Earth, can gorge themselves on comparatively tiny bits of plankton, so the Whale Galaxy has become filled with the gas and dust that powers a high rate of star formation.
Publisher	ESA/Hubble
Usage terms	Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
JPEG file comment	The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into NGC 4631, better known as the Whale Galaxy. Here, a profusion of starbirth lights up the galactic centre, revealing bands of dark material between us and the starburst. The galaxy’s activity tapers off in its outer regions where there are fewer stars and less dust, but these are still punctuated by pockets of star formation. The Whale Galaxy is about 30 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) and is a spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. From our vantage point, however, we see the Whale Galaxy edge-on, seeing its glowing centre through dusty spiral arms. The galaxy's central bulge and asymmetric tapering disc have suggested the shape of a whale or a herring to past observers. Many supernovae — the explosions of hot, blue, short-lived stars at least eight times the mass of the Sun — have gone off in the core of the Whale Galaxy. The stellar pyrotechnics have bathed the galaxy in hot gas, visible to X-ray telescopes like ESA’s XMM–Newton. Comparing the optical and near-infrared observations from Hubble with other telescopes sensitive to different wavelengths of light helps astronomers gather the full story behind celestial phenomena. From such work, the triggers of the starburst in the Whale Galaxy and others can be elucidated. The gravitational "feeding" on intergalactic material, as well as clumping caused by the gravitational interactions with its galactic neighbours, creates the areas of greater density where stars start to coalesce. Just as blue whales, the biggest creatures on Earth, can gorge themselves on comparatively tiny bits of plankton, so the Whale Galaxy has become filled with the gas and dust that powers a high rate of star formation.
Orientation	Normal
Horizontal resolution	72 dpi
Vertical resolution	72 dpi
Software used	Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
File change date and time	14:35, 18 August 2011
Y and C positioning	Centered
Exif version	2.31
Date and time of digitizing	14:35, 18 August 2011
Meaning of each component	Y Cb Cr does not exist
Supported Flashpix version	1
Color space	Uncalibrated
IIM version	4
Keywords	NGC 4631
Bits per component	8 8 8
Height	2,434 px
Width	8,933 px
Pixel composition	RGB
Number of components	3
Contact information	http://www.spacetelescope.org/ Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2 Garching bei München, , D-85748 Germany
Type of media	Observation
Date metadata was last modified	16:35, 18 August 2011
Unique ID of original document	uuid:611AADEF48B7E011B7D4C476187C6BC7

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