Date: 8/02/2020 18:44:03
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1497886
Subject: An Extremely Rare 'Double Nucleus' Has Been Imaged in a Nearby Galaxy

An Extremely Rare ‘Double Nucleus’ Has Been Imaged in a Nearby Galaxy

Wrapped up within the nearby Cocoon Galaxy, astronomers have detected a rare double heart. Recognised in the Northern Hemisphere for its distinct shape, this distorted spiral galaxy, otherwise known as NGC 4490, appears to be hiding a true rarity.

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Date: 9/02/2020 11:35:19
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1498140
Subject: re: An Extremely Rare 'Double Nucleus' Has Been Imaged in a Nearby Galaxy

Tau.Neutrino said:


An Extremely Rare ‘Double Nucleus’ Has Been Imaged in a Nearby Galaxy

Wrapped up within the nearby Cocoon Galaxy, astronomers have detected a rare double heart. Recognised in the Northern Hemisphere for its distinct shape, this distorted spiral galaxy, otherwise known as NGC 4490, appears to be hiding a true rarity.

more…

> In 2004, the Catalog of Double Nucleus Disk Galaxies included only 107 objects

That’s rare.

> NGC 4490. Although scientists had observed one nucleus with optical telescopes, and seen another with radio telescopes, no one had compared notes and discovered that there were two nuclei in the galaxy.

LOL. Nice.

> Because both nuclei show roughly the same size, mass and luminosity.

> Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) legacy project examined a sample of 75 nearby galaxies.

What do we know about SINGS? Was it before or after Spitzer ran out of coolant. Let’s see. “carried out between 2003 and 2006”, Spitzer ran out of coolant on On May 15, 2009.

I wonder, is it time for another Spitzer space mission? And Herschel, too for that matter?
Spitzer with coolant could see (using the MIPS instrument) from 24 to 160 microns, that’s mid to far infrared. Mirror 0.85 m diameter.
Herschel was 55 to 675 microns, that’s far infrared merging into submillimetre microwave. Mirror 3.5 m diameter.

The James Webb will be 0.6 to 28 microns, no significant overlap.

What about the Japanese Akari (rising sun) telescope? No, that died in 2011.

There is literally no infrared space telescope up there in operation.

Even in microwave, the only space telescope is the Swedish telescope Odin, and since 2007 it has been used only for Earth observation.

RIP Spitzer. Switched off permanently 30 Jan 2020.
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