NRAO: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

About this Image

Our best information about magnetic fields in other galaxies is obtained by studying the radio-wavelength synchrotron radiation emitted by cosmic-ray electrons as they move through a galaxy's magnetic field. In this image, radio data from the NRAO Very Large Array and the 100-m Effelsberg telescope are combined with a three-filter, optical wavelength image of the nearby galaxy NGC 253 (the "Silver Coin" galaxy) from the ESO Wide Field Imager. The vectors overlaid on the optical image show the orientation of the magnetic field in NGC 253, as measured by the radio data; the vector length is proportional to the polarized emission. Note that the magnetic field is detected not only in the galaxy's disk but also above and below, demonstrating the presence of a "radio halo." This may be caused by an outflow of gas from the disk into the halo.

Investigator(s):  Volker Heesen (AIRUB), Rainer Beck (MPIfR), Marita Krause (MPIfR), and Ralf-Jürgen Dettmar (AIRUB)

Alternate Resolutions

Help

This image is available in the following downloadable versions:

• 500 x 500 color JPEG
• 1050 x 1050 color JPEG
• 2100 x 2100 color TIFF

If you would like to obtain a higher resolution version of this image, please contact Pat Smiley.

For More Information

• Up one level for more info on Spiral galaxies
• For unfamiliar terms, visit the NRAO Radio Astronomy Glossary

Technical Data

Telescope	VLA
Date of Observation	2004-00-00
Type of Observation	Continuum Observations
Band	C
Wavelength	6 cm
Frequency	5.0 GHz
Center of Image	RA: 01:47:33.10, Dec: -25:17:18.00
Field of View	1.0000 x 1.0000 degrees



Astronomical database entries for NGC253
• Query NED for images of NGC253
• Query SIMBAD for more NGC253 data

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