+ Previously On the Phantom Galaxy –
2023 Spitzer Infrared
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+ + Messier 74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy, is seen here in infrared light which showcases its sweeping spiral + arms and star-forming regions. This image was created using archival data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, + revealing dust clouds that, in visible light, appear dark. +
+ ++ Messier 74 is an archetype of the "grand design" spiral galaxy and is nearly face-on to our view, providing a + perfect view of its structure. In this infrared image, the light from stars appears blue, as stars are brightest + at shorter wavelengths of infrared light and less visible at longer wavelengths. +
+ ++ Filamentary dust clouds are a feature of spiral arms, and help to trace regions where gas reaches higher + densities + and can lead to the formation of stars. These clouds light up at longer wavelengths of light, appearing as pale + yellow filaments. Regions of newly-forming stars show up as bright red dots scattered along the arms, as they + glow + most brightly at the longest infrared wavelengths in this image. +
+ ++ The galaxy is located in the Pisces constellation and is situated about 30 million light-years away. It has a + visible diameter of approximately 10 arc minutes, which is about a third as wide as the full moon. However, its + low surface brightness makes it too faint to be seen with the naked eye and makes it a challenging target even + for small backyard telescopes. +
+ ++ In this image, infrared light at wavelengths of 3.6, 4.5, and 8.0 microns from Spitzer’s IRAC instrument is + displayed as blue, cyan, and green, respectively, while light from Spitzer’s MIPS instrument at 24 microns is + shown in red. +
+ ++ Image & Text Credit: ASA/JPL-Caltech +
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