Galaxy NGC 4314 (Hubble WFPC2 Mosaic)
The two spiral arms outside the ring are probably unrelated to the dust lanes, and seem to contain very little dust or gas. The stars in these spiral arms are bluer than most of the galaxy, indicating that many of them are relatively young, less than 200 million years old. However, they are older than those in the ring. This information suggests that the neighborhood of star formation is moving closer to the galaxy's core. Another interpretation has the arms formed through the gravitational interaction of the embedded bar and ring of stars, causing them to spray outward.
Credit:About the Image
About the Object
Name: | IRAS 12200+3010, NGC 4314 |
Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Barred |
Distance: | 33 million light years |
Constellation: | Coma Berenices |
Category: | Galaxies |
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 12 22 33.53 |
Position (Dec): | 29° 53' 30.43" |
Field of view: | 2.49 x 2.46 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 5.7° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Infrared Near-IR | 1.6 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS |