NGC 4038 Antenna Galaxy

NGC 4038 Antenna Galaxy

This near-infrared image obtained with GeMS adaptive optics system reveals remarkable, colorful details in NGC 4038, one of the components of the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/NGC 4039). This starburst system, only about 10.5 million light-years distant, harbors a rich population of massive young clusters, whose formation has been triggered by the interaction of the two galaxies.

Observatory: Gemini Observatory (South)  Cerro Pachon, Chile
Telescope: Gemini South
Instrument: GMOS-S  
Astronomer: Gemini Observatory, Rodrigo Carrasco (Gemini), GeMS System Verification Team and T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage)
Date of Observation: 02-02-2013
Filters and Assigned Colors: J (blue), H (green) and Ks (red)
Exposure Times: 4x30sec in J and H, 3x30sec in Ks
Location of Image: Corvus
Field of View: 1.6 x 1.4 arcmin
Orientation: North is right, East is up
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