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More Images of the Circinus Galaxy
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Circinus Galaxy-X-ray/Optical
This side-by-side image shows the relation of the
Chandra image (left) to the Hubble Space Telescope
image (right).
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/Penn
State/F. Bauer et al.; Optical: NASA/A.Wilson et
al.)
Scale: 80 arcsec per side in
Chandra image.
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Circinus Galaxy-Optical
Much of the gas in the disk of the Circinus spiral is
concentrated in two specific rings -- a larger one of
diameter 1,300 light years another with a diameter of
260 light years. In the Hubble image, the smaller inner
ring is located on the inside of the green disk. The
larger outer ring extends off the image and is in the
plane of the galaxy's disk. This Hubble Space Telescope
image of the Circinus Galaxy was taken on April 10,
1999 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2.
(Credit: NASA/A.Wilson et
al.)
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Circinus Galaxy-2MASS
A dark dust lane, running to the south and east of the
nucleus, is apparent in this 2MASS image, which covers
the near-infrared portion of the spectrum. The disk of
the galaxy, overall, is much fainter than the bright
nucleus. Maiolino et al. propose, based on Hubble Space
Telescope near-infrared NICMOS imaging, that this dust
lane traces a nuclear gas bar that may be responsible
for feeding the active nucleus.
(Credit: S. Van Dyk
(IPAC))
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Chandra X-ray Image with Scale
Bar
Scale bar = 10 arcsec
(Credit: NASA/Penn State/F.Bauer
et al.)
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Return to Circinus Galaxy (14 May 01)
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