|
Credit & Copyright:
Illustrator J. Gitlin (STScI),
H. Ferguson (STScI), N. Tanvir (IoA), T. von Hippel (U. Wisc.), NASA,
Explanation:
Galaxies are made up
of stars, but are all stars found
within galaxies?
Apparently not. Using the Hubble Space Telescope,
researchers exploring
the Virgo Cluster of galaxies have now found about 600
red giant stars adrift in intergalactic space.
Above is an artist's vision of the sky from a hypothetical planet
of such a lonely sun.
The night sky on a world orbiting an intergalactic star
would be a stark contrast to Earth's - which features
a nightly parade of stars, all members of
our own Milkyway galaxy.
As suggested by the illustration, a setting swollen red sun
would leave behind a dark sky speckled only with faint, fuzzy,
apparitions of
Virgo Cluster galaxies.
Possibly ejected from their home galaxies during
galaxy-galaxy collisions, these isolated suns
may well represent part of a large,
previously unseen stellar population,
filling the the space between Virgo cluster galaxies.
H. Ferguson (STScI), N. Tanvir (IoA), T. von Hippel (U. Wisc.), NASA,
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day