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Hubble Interacting Galaxy Mrk 273
Markarian 273 is a galaxy with a bizarre structure that somewhat resembles a toothbrush. The Hubble image shows an intricate central region and a striking tail that extends diagonally towards the bottom-right of the image. The tail is about 130 thousand light-years long and is strongly indicative of a merger between two galaxies. Markarian 273 has an intense region of starburst, where 60 solar masses of new stars are born each year. Near-infrared observations reveal a nucleus with two components. Markarian 273 is one of the most luminous galaxies when observed in the infrared, and is located 500 million light-years away from Earth.
This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.13h 44m 42.28s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.55° 53' 10.5"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Ursa Major
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.500 million light-years (150 million parsecs)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.HST Proposal: 10592 A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University) - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.November 16, 2001, Exposure Time: 37 minutes
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F435W (B) and F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Mrk 273, UGC 8696, I Zw 071
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Interacting Galaxies
- Release DateApril 24, 2008
- Science ReleaseCosmic Collisions Galore!
- Credit
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
