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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Спящая прелестная галактика M64 http://variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1161876/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Bill Keel,
U. Alabama
Explanation:
The
Sleeping Beauty
galaxy
may appear peaceful at first sight but it is actually tossing and turning.
In an unexpected twist, recent observations have shown that the center of
this photogenic
galaxy is rotating in the opposite direction
than the outer regions! Stranger still - there is a middle region
where the stars rotate in the opposite direction from the surrounding
dust
and
gas.
The fascinating internal motions of
M64, also cataloged as NGC
4826, are thought to be the result of a
collision between a
small galaxy
and a
large galaxy - where the resultant mix has not
yet settled down.
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.