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Back SPIRE images of M74 at three different wavelengths

SPIRE images of M74 at three different wavelengths


Date: 09 July 2009
Satellite: Herschel
Depicts: SPIRE first light images
Copyright: ESA and the SPIRE Consortium

On 24 June 2009 the SPIRE instrument recorded its first images during the in-orbit commissioning phase of the Herschel mission. These pictures, made before fine-tuning or in-orbit final calibration was performed show SPIRE images of M74 at three different wavelengths 250, 300 and 500 microns, scaled to bring out the extended structure of the galaxy and to show more detail in the background sky. The image quality is best at 250 microns because telescopes produce sharper images at their shortest wavelengths. By combining the three images, astronomers can measure the properties of the emitting dust and identify the nature of the many distant galaxies that also appear in the pictures.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
16-May-2026 00:11 UT

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