SPIRE map of NGC 4559 and surroundings
This SPIRE map of the spiral galaxy NGC 4559, imaged as part of the Kingfish Survey, demonstrates one of the strengths of the SPIRE Point Source Catalogue. The object of interest in the original observation, NGC 4559, is the bright extended source in the centre, while the many dots in the vicinity - most likely other more distant galaxies - could be considered as value-added observations. The SPIRE Point Source Catalogue makes these more accessible for researchers using data in the archives.
Details of all these sources can be found in the SPIRE Point Source Catalogue.
SPIRE – Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver – is one of three instruments that flew on the Herschel Space Observatory.