M81 and M82: GALEX Full Field
Explanation:
Intriguing galaxy pair M81 and M82 shine in this
full-field view
from the orbiting GALEX observatory.
GALEX - the
Galaxy Evolution
Explorer - scans the cosmos in
ultraviolet
light, a view that follows star formation
and
galaxy
evolution through
the Universe.
Near the bottom, magnificent
spiral
galaxy M81,
similar in size to our own
Milky Way, shows off young stars in winding spiral arms.
Less than 100 million years old, the young stars are blue in
the false-color GALEX image and seen to be well
separated from the
older yellowish stars of the galactic core.
But near the top, turbulent, irregular
galaxy M82
shows the results of extreme rates of star birth and death.
Supernovae, the death explosions of massive stars,
contribute to a violent wind of material expelled from
M82's central regions.
The
striking
irregular and spiral galaxy pair are located only
about 10 million light-years away in the northern constellation
Ursa Major.
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.
