Mystery spiral galaxy arms explained?

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In this composite image of spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258) optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey is shown as yellow radio data from the Very Large Array appears as purple X-ray data from Chandra is coded blue and infrared data from the Spitzer Spa ...
In this composite image of spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258), optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey is shown as yellow, radio data from the Very Large Array appears as purple, X-ray data from Chandra is coded blue, and infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope appears red. The anomalous arms appear as purple and blue emission. Credit: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Maryland/A.S. Wilson et al. Optical: Pal.Obs. DSS; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech; VLA & NRAO/AUI/NSF

Using a quartet of space observatories, University of Maryland astronomers may have cracked a 45-year mystery surrounding two ghostly spiral arms in the galaxy M106.


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All News summaries for April 10, 2007