Spiral Galaxy M90
Explanation:
Spiral galaxy M90
is near the center of the
Virgo Cluster of Galaxies - the
closest cluster of galaxies to the our own
Milky Way Galaxy. Also dubbed
NGC 4569, this galaxy has a very compact and bright nucleus. Because of
M90's proximity and motion inside the Virgo Cluster,
M90
actually shows a
blueshift - indicating that it is moving toward us
rather than away. Most
galaxies show a
redshift which indicates that
they move away from us. Calibrating exactly how redshift relates to
distance would indicate a scale for our universe - a topic of much debate
recently.
Information:
The
Scale of the Universe Debate in April 1996
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
