UGCA 281

Edited Hubble Space Telescope image of UGCA 281 with the pale purple dots showing star forming regions (along with a large green (at least in these images) nebula).

 

To piece together a more complete picture of star birth, astronomers

have used the Hubble Space Telescope to look at star formation among

galaxies in our own cosmic back yard. The survey of 50 galaxies in the

local universe, called the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS), is the

sharpest, most comprehensive ultraviolet-light look at nearby star-

forming galaxies.

 

The LEGUS survey combines new Hubble observations with archival

Hubble images for star-forming spiral and dwarf galaxies, offering a

valuable resource for understanding the complexities of star formation

and galaxy evolution. Astronomers are releasing the star catalogs for

each of the LEGUS galaxies and cluster catalogs for 30 of the galaxies, as

well as images of the galaxies themselves. The catalogs provide detailed

information on young, massive stars and star clusters, and how their

environment affects their development.

 

The local universe, stretching across the gulf of space between us and

the great Virgo cluster of galaxies, is ideal for study because astronomers

can amass a big enough sample of galaxies, and yet, the galaxies are

close enough to Earth that Hubble can resolve individual stars. The survey

will also help astronomers understand galaxies in the distant universe,

where rapid star formation took place.

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