Optical CCD image of spiral galaxy M99 (NGC 4254),showing a new supernova,discovered in 1986,circled in yellow. The incredible brightness of a supernova (the explosion of a giant star) is dem- onstrated by the fact that the supernova is almost as bright as the two stars at upper & lower left of M99; these stars are foreground stars within our own galaxy,whereas M99 is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies some 50 million light years away. The picture was made with a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera mounted on a telescope at the Whipple Observatory,Arizona. A CCD is a type of light-sensitive silicon chip | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / DR RUDOLPH SCHILD, SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYS- ICAL OBSERVATORY |
Bildgröße: | 4235 px × 3016 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |