![]() ![]() The barred spiral galaxy NGC 55, located in the constellation Sculptor, is similarly whale-like in appearance and shares the nickname with NGC 4631. NGC 4631 is not the only whale in the sky. The researchers’ dynamo model produced spiraling magnetic fields in the galaxy’s halo that were an extension of the spiral arms in the galaxy’s disk. The images seemed to confirm a classical theory about dynamos (magnetic generators) generating the fields. Jansky Very Large Array radio telescope in 2019. The magnetic fields were first imaged with the Karl G. Image: Smithsonian Institution, X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/D.Wang et al. NGC 4631 closely resembles our Milky Way galaxy, and observations of NGC 4631 and similar galaxies provide astronomers with an important tool in the understanding our own galactic environment. The structure across the middle of the image and the extended faint filaments (shown in orange) represent data from the Hubble Space Telescope that reveal giant bursting bubbles created by merging clusters of massive stars. It was detected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2001.Ĭhandra’s observations of NGC 4631 reveal a giant halo of hot gas (shown in blue and purple) surrounding this spiral galaxy. ![]() The galaxy’s giant diffuse halo extends as far away as 8 kiloparsecs from the galactic plane. The hot gas appears to blow out from supershells in the disk, dragging magnetic field lines up in the halo and forming a magnetized gaseous halo. The researchers presented evidence for interaction between the galaxy’s disk and halo. The ROSAT observations in the 1990s found the strongest X-ray emission in the galaxy’s halo above the central disk, in a region that shows high star formation activity. The study also found a double-worm structure above the galaxy’s central region, suggesting the breakout of a superbubble created by a star-forming event in the galaxy’s core. Because of its relative proximity, it helps astronomers study the stars and gas that lie outside the galactic plane.Ī 1992 study found a highly irregular distribution of H-alpha (Hα), indicating that the galaxy’s disk was disturbed, likely as a result of interaction with smaller nearby galaxies. ![]() The Whale Galaxy is a frequent target for studies. ![]() The galaxy’s central bulge and asymmetric tapering disc have suggested the shape of a whale or a herring to past observers. From our vantage point, however, we see the Whale Galaxy edge-on, seeing its glowing centre through dusty spiral arms. The Whale Galaxy is about 30 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) and is a spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. The galaxy’s activity tapers off in its outer regions where there are fewer stars and less dust, but these are still punctuated by pockets of star formation. Here, a profusion of starbirth lights up the galactic centre, revealing bands of dark material between us and the starburst. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into NGC 4631, better known as the Whale Galaxy. The superwind was detected by X-ray observations with the ROSAT satellite in the early 1990s. The many supernovae in the galaxy’s nucleus are blowing gas out of the galaxy’s plane. They burn through the supply of hydrogen in their cores relatively quickly and go out as supernovae not long after evolving away from the main sequence. The most massive stars formed in starburst regions do not live very long lives. The Whale Galaxy is recognizable for its central starburst region, appearing roughly spheroidal in shape, and a long, rugged tail. Some studies estimate as few as five members, while others estimate as many as 27. The membership of other galaxies that appear close by is uncertain. They include NGC 4627, the companion of NGC 4631, and the relatively bright Hockey Stick Galaxies (NGC 4656 and NGC 4657). The member galaxies lie both in Canes Venatici and in the neighbouring Coma Berenices. The group is part of the Virgo Supercluster. The Whale Galaxy is the central member of the NGC 4631 Group, a group of galaxies located about 25 million light years away. The Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631), image: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon Sk圜enter/University of Arizona (CC BY-SA 3.0 US) ![]()
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