CALIFA survey publishes intimate details of 100 galaxies
Friday, November 2, 2012 - 14:30
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org)—The Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey (CALIFA survey) has published a first set of data, offering views of one hundred galaxies in the local Universe at an unprecedented level of detail. The new data represent the first large-scale effort at "two plus one" mapping of galaxies: for every pixel within each two-dimensional image, a detailed ("spectral") analysis can be performed, providing information about dynamics and chemical composition. These, in turn, yield key information that will allow scientists to reconstruct the structure and dynamics of galaxies, as well as their evolution over time.