The Galactic Ring of NGC 6782
Explanation:
Do
spiral galaxies
look the same in every color?
NGC 6782 demonstrates colorfully that they do not.
In
visible light, NGC 6782
appears to be a normal
spiral galaxy with a bright
bar across its center.
In
ultraviolet light, however, the central region blossoms
into a spectacular and complex structure
highlighted by a circumnuclear ring, as shown in
the above
representative color
Hubble Space Telescope image.
Many of the young
stars that formed
in a recent burst of star formation emit the
ultraviolet light.
Astronomers are studying
possible relationships between the central bar and the ring.
Light we see today from
NGC 6782 left about 180 million years ago,
while
dinosaurs roamed the
Earth.
The galaxy spans about 80,000
light-years and can be seen with a
telescope toward the constellation of
Pavo.
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.
