Anne’s Image of the Day: Starburst Galaxy 2MASX J05210136-2521450

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August 23, 2013

2MASX J05210136-2521450, a starburst galaxy

Image Credit: Luca Limatola, ESA/Hubble & NASA

This image shows a bright spiral galaxy that is cataloged under the name 2MASX J05210136-2521450. Behind the rather unpoetical name hides a fascinating starburst galaxy that immediately stands out by its peculiar shape.

Also known as IRAS 05189-2524, it is an active galaxy with an active galactic nucleus (AGN), a compact region at the center of the galaxy that has a much higher than normal luminosity, probably due to accretion of mass by a central supermassive black hole.

2MASX J05210136-2521450 is classified as an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy (ULIG), which means that the galaxy emits a tremendous amount of light at infrared wavelengths (between 1012 and 1013 solar luminosities). Astronomers see this as an indication of intense star formation activity, in fact, ULIGs are the sites of the most extreme star formation events in the (local) Universe. Such a violent star formation activity is usually triggered by a collision between two interacting galaxies.

In the case of 2MASX J05210136-2521450, the merging process has left its signs in the shape of the galaxy: it presents a single, bright nucleus and a spectacular outer structure that consists of a one-sided extension of the inner arms, with a tidal tail heading in the opposite direction, formed from material ripped out from the merging galaxies by gravitational forces.

This image is a combination of exposures taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, using near-infrared and visible light. A version of this image was submitted to the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures image processing competition by contestant Luca Limatola.

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