The Andromeda Deep Field
Explanation:
What can you learn from looking into the depths of space?
In an effort to find out true ages of stars in neighboring
Andromeda galaxy's
halo, astronomers stared into the
galaxy giant with the new
Advanced Camera for Surveys through the
Hubble Space Telescope.
The
resulting exposure of over three days,
shown above, is the longest exposure in visible light ever taken,
although shorter than the multi-wavelength effort toward the
Hubble Deep Field.
The final image illuminated not only
Andromeda (M31) but the distant universe.
Andromeda's halo stars turned out to be have a
wider range of ages than our
Milky Way's halo stars,
likely indicating more encounters with
small neighboring galaxies.
Visible on the
above left is one of Andromeda's
globular star clusters, while literally
thousands of background galaxies are seen in the
distance universe,
far beyond M31.
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.
