Interstellar Dust Bunnies of NGC 891
Explanation:
What is going on in
NGC 891?
This galaxy appeared previously to be very similar to our own
Milky Way Galaxy: a
spiral galaxy
seen nearly edge-on.
However, recent high-resolution images of
NGC 891's dust show unusual filamentary patterns
extending well away from its Galactic disk.
This
interstellar dust
was probably thrown out of the galactic disk toward the
halo by
stellar supernovae explosions.
Because dust is so fragile, its appearance after
surviving disk expulsion can be very
telling. Newly discovered phenomena, however, sometimes
appear so complex that more
questions are raised than are answered.
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.
