A New Cosmic Atlas Reveals Stunning Details of 400,000 Nearby Galaxies
The Siena Galaxy Atlas is poised to become a valuable resource for astronomers, enabling them to analyze various aspects of the universe's structure, from galaxy formation and evolution to the distribution of enigmatic dark matter.
Astronomers have unveiled a new cosmic atlas, the Siena Galaxy Atlas, containing precise information on nearly 400,000 galaxies situated in the vicinity of our Milky Way. This comprehensive digital atlas, created from data collected between 2014 and 2017, offers not only a wealth of data for scientists but also visually captivating images accessible to the public.
The Siena Galaxy Atlas draws from cutting-edge digital imagery. It incorporates data from telescopes like the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) and the 90Prime camera, resulting in an impressive collection of cosmic information.
One notable feature of the Siena Galaxy Atlas is its accuracy, thanks to data acquired with highly sensitive instruments. It is also the first cosmic atlas to include light profiles of galaxies, offering insights into how their brightness varies from center to edge.
With its accuracy and vast dataset, the Siena Galaxy Atlas promises to be a crucial tool for astronomers conducting research on topics ranging from star formation in differently shaped galaxies to the role of dark matter in galaxy positions and clustering. Additionally, it may aid in pinpointing the sources of gravitational wave signals detected on Earth.