AM1054：星系碰撞所形成的恒星

2024年2月20日

AM1054: Stars Form as Galaxies Collide
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI; Processing: J. English (U. Manitoba); Science: M. Rodruck (Penn State U. & Randolph-Macon C.) et al.;
Text: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba).

Explanation: When galaxies collide, how many stars are born? For AM1054-325, featured here in a recently released image by the Hubble Space Telescope, the answer is millions. Instead of stars being destroyed as galaxy AM1054-325 and a nearby galaxy circle each other, their gravity and motion has ignited stellar creation. Star formation occurs rapidly in the gaseous debris stretching from AM1054-325’s yellowish body due to the other galaxy’s gravitational pull. Hydrogen gas surrounding newborn stars glows pink. Bright infant stars shine blue and cluster together in compact nurseries of thousands to millions of stars. AM1054-325 possesses over 100 of these intense-blue, dot-like star clusters, some appearing like a string of pearls. Analyzing ultraviolet light helped determine that most of these stars are less than 10 million years old: stellar babies. Many of these nurseries may grow up to be globular star clusters, while the bundle of young stars at the bottom tip may even detach and form a small galaxy.

Tomorrow’s picture: bigger bird

AM1054：星系碰撞所形成的恒星
影像提供: NASA, ESA, STScI; 影像处理: J. English (U. Manitoba); 科学内容: M. Rodruck (Penn State U. & Randolph-Macon C.) et al.;
文稿: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba).

说明: 星系互撞时，会诞生多少恒星？对哈勃太空望远镜最近刚发布的这幅影像里的星系AM1054-325来说，答案是数百万颗。随着AM1054-325和邻近的星系相互绕行，它们的恒星并不会被摧毁，反而是它们之间的重力互扰及运动会触发恒星诞生。尤其是受到另一个星系的引力牵引，而从AM1054-325泛黄本体里拉伸出来的气体碎片之恒星形成活动最为激烈。新诞生恒星更会激发周围氢气会发出粉红的辉光。而散发明亮泛蓝星光的新生恒星，则常会聚集成团，形成有数千到数百万颗成员星的紧凑星团。AM1054-325拥有100多个这样的明亮泛蓝、形似亮点的星团，有些甚至集结成串珠状。分析紫外光波段的数据发现，大部分的这些恒星之年龄小于1,000万年，是名符其实的婴儿期恒星。其中的许多”星团”可能会发展成球状星团，而从此星系底部伸出、形似把手的那大团年轻恒星，甚至可能会分离出来形成小星系。

明日的图片: bigger bird