 |
This Hubble Space Telescope image captures the beauty of the spiral galaxy UGC 11105 in both visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. |
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has cast its gaze upon the softly luminous spiral galaxy UGC 11105, situated approximately 110 million light-years away in the constellation Hercules.
Astronomers employ various methods to quantify the brightness of celestial objects, with apparent magnitude being a key metric. This measure reflects how bright an object appears to an Earth-based observer and is influenced by the object’s proximity to Earth. Drawing an analogy to streetlights, where lampposts emitting the same amount of light appear differently bright depending on their distance, helps illustrate the concept. UGC 11105 boasts an apparent magnitude of approximately 13.6 in visible or optical light, perceptible to our eyes.
However, this Hubble image extends beyond visible light, incorporating ultraviolet data to unveil wavelengths beyond human perception. Despite its entire galactic nature, UGC 11105 appears remarkably dim compared to the Sun, which, due to its proximity and our Earthly perspective, shines about 14 thousand trillion times brighter. The Hubble Space Telescope’s unique vantage point, situated above Earth’s distorting atmosphere, enables it to capture the subtle brilliance of objects like UGC 11105 in visible light, ultraviolet light, and a select portion of infrared light.
