NASA今天天文图片：紫外线中的仙女座星系色彩斑斓炫丽夺目

 

 

 

 

Ultraviolet Andromeda

 

Credit: UV - NASA /Swift/Stefan Immler ( GSFC ) and Erin Grand (UMCP)

 
Explanation: This stunning vista represents the highest resolution image ever made of the Andromeda Galaxy (aka M31) at ultraviolet wavelengths . Recorded by NASA's Swift satellite , the mosaic is composed of 330 individual images covering a region 200,000 light-years wide. It shows about 20,000 sources , dominated by hot, young stars and dense star clusters that radiate strongly in energetic ultraviolet light. Of course, the Andromeda Galaxy is the closest large spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, at a distance of some 2.5 million light-years. Just slide your cursor over the image to compare the appearance of this gorgeous island universe in optical light with its ultraviolet portrait.

 

附：仙女座星系

 

这是壮美的仙女座星系。仙女座星系是距离银河系最近的大星系，是位于仙女星座的一个巨型旋涡星系。仙女座星系是根据其所在的仙女星座命名的，又名M31，因为它是着名的梅西耶星团星云表中的第31号弥漫天体。仙女座星系直径为22万光年，而银河系直径为10万光年。