An image of the central part of the ultra-luminuous infrared galaxy Arp 220 taken with the WFPC on the Hubble Space Telescope. HST reveals a new complex structure within one arc second of the nucleus. While part of the this structure was seen in radio interfero-metric maps, most of the structure is new. HST reveals a new class of object at the core: gigantic young star clusters which are ten times larger than any clusters observed previously. They were probably produces by the collision of two spiral galaxies. Stars are produced at a furious rate from the dust and gas supplied by the collision. The HST images optically resolve two bright sources (first identified by radio observations) which are the two nuclei of the merged galaxies. Astronomers have never before seen such a "starburst galaxy" so close-up. The core of Arp 220 promises to be a unique laboratory for studying the late evolution of massive stars.
Credits
Credit: E. Shaya, D. Dowling/U. of Maryland, the WFPC Team, and NASA| About The Object | |
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| Object Name | Arp 220 |
| About The Object | |
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| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The 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. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
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| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
