Hubble Gazes Sidelong at NGC 3568

The Galaxy NGC 3568 as seen by Hubble shows a side on view of the Spiral Galaxy located some 57 million light-years away , on first glance it just looks like a blob of dust and gas but if you look at the leading edge where the dust and gas have separated you get to see the glowing Galaxy within , I think it's a simple but beautiful picture.


esahubble.org...

a reply to: gortex

You've had a lot of awesome threads recently.

But can you frame them in such a away that they make fun of the left?

a reply to: gortex

Really though this is awesome. It's amazing to me how much detail potons can carry through vast distances.

a reply to: gortex

This is awesome!!!! Just look at all the galaxies in the background thank you for posting this beautiful image of the heavens.

Anyone know when the James Webb telescope is going up?

a reply to: Themaskedbeast

Everything is on course for James Webb to launch on the 22nd , next Wednesday.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Themaskedbeast

Everything is on course for James Webb to launch on the 22nd , next Wednesday.

I saw a video a few months ago about the deployment of the Webb after it reaches orbit. If I remember correctly it will take several months to unfold and start working.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Yes , it has about 1 million miles to travel to reach it's orbital position then it will deploy so hopefully mid next year all will have gone as planned.

Im always amazed at these pictures the clarity it's almost looks enhanced and artistic. It's indescribable maybe we will get to the point where VR can replicate a space voyage in all it's glory

a reply to: gortex

Awesome an early Christmas present for us all

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Bluntone22

Yes , it has about 1 million miles to travel to reach it's orbital position then it will deploy so hopefully mid next year all will have gone as planned.

Geez, I hope she don't need any hands on fixes like Hubble did.

I wonder why it's necessary to go so far... Guess I'll be doing some googling...

ETA:

Why does Webb have to go so much farther away from Earth than Hubble? What is the second Lagrange point orbit?

Webb requires a distant orbit for several reasons. Webb will observe primarily the infrared light from faint and very distant objects. Infrared is heat radiation, so all warm things, including telescopes, emit infrared light. To avoid swamping the very faint astronomical signals with radiation from the telescope, the telescope and its instruments must be very cold. Webb's operating temperature is less than 50 degrees above absolute zero: 50 Kelvin (-223° C or -370° F). Therefore, Webb has a large shield that blocks the light from the Sun and Earth (and the Moon), which otherwise would heat up the telescope, and interfere with the observations. Webb will be placed in orbit around the Sun at a special location where its sunshield can block both the Sun and Earth (and Moon) all the time.; the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Sun-Earth system has this property. L2 is a semi-stable point in the gravitational potential around the Sun and Earth. The L2 point lies outside Earth's orbit while it is going around the Sun, keeping all three in a line at all times. The combined gravitational forces of the Sun and the Earth can almost hold a spacecraft at this point, and it takes relatively little fuel to keep the spacecraft near L2. The cold and stable temperature environment of the L2 point will allow Webb to make the very sensitive infrared observations needed.