Himiko
Credit: NASA, ESA,
ESO, NRAO, NAOJ, JAO, M. Ouchi (University of Tokyo), R. Ellis
(California Institute of Technology), Y. Ono (University of Tokyo), K.
Nakanishi (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) and
Joint ALMA Observatory), K. Kohno and R. Momose (University of Tokyo),
Y. Kurono (Joint ALMA Observatory), M. Ashby (Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics), K. Shimasaku (University of Tokyo), S. Willner and
G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), Y. Tamura
(University of Tokyo), and D. Iono (National Astronomical Observatory
of Japan). Release Images
Astronomers using the combined power of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope
have discovered a far-flung trio of primitive galaxies nestled
inside an enormous blob of primordial gas. The rare triple system
existed when the universe was only 800 million years old. The trio may
eventually merge into a single massive galaxy, researchers predict.
The researchers state that the system provides key insights into the
earliest stages of galaxy formation.
This composite color image of a giant primordial bubble of gas,
dubbed Himiko (after the queen of ancient Japan), is assembled from
Hubble, Subaru, and Spitzer data. The left panel shows the field around
Himiko, as viewed by Hubble. The position of Himiko is marked with a
square.
The right panels show close-up views of the Hubble image (top) and a
combination of Hubble, Subaru, and Spitzer images (bottom). In the
Hubble image, infrared wavelengths captured by Hubble's Wide Field
Camera 3 at 0.98, 1.25, and 1.6 microns are represented by blue, green,
and red, respectively. In the Hubble/Subaru/Spitzer image, the
combination of three Hubble infrared bands is green, while Lyman-alpha
emission captured by Subaru Suprime-Cam and infrared 3.6 micron taken
by the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera are presented with blue and red,
respectively.
For more information and graphics for Himiko, visit:
https://public.nrao.edu/news/pressreleases/infant-galaxies-merge-near-cosmic-dawn .
Source: Hubble Site
