Image ssc2006-06a

This graph of infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells astronomers that a distant galaxy called IRAS 08752+3915 is experiencing a storm of tiny crystals made up of silicates. The crystals are similar to the glass-like grains of sand found on Earth's many beaches.

The data were taken by Spitzer's infrared spectrograph, which splits light open to reveal its rainbow-like components. The resulting spectrum shown here reveals the signatures of both crystalline (green) and non-crystalline (brown) silicates.

Spitzer detected the same crystals in more than 20 other similar galaxies, all belonging to a class called ultraluminous infrared galaxies. These extremely bright and dusty galaxies usually consist of two galaxies in the process of smashing into each other. Astronomers believe massive stars at the hearts of the galaxies are churning out clouds of silicate crystals. This phenomenon may represent a short-lived phase in the evolution of galactic mergers.

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About the Object	Object Name: IRAS 08572+3915 Object Type: Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Position (J2000): RA: 09h00m25.4s Dec: +39d03m54s Distance: z=0.05835 / 750 million light-years
About the Data	Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. W. W. Spoon (Cornell University) Instrument: IRS Wavelength: 5-35 microns Exposure Date: April 15, 2004 Exposure Time: 6 min. Release Date: Feb. 15, 2006
Observers	Henrik Spoon (Cornell University) Alexander Tielens (NASA-Ames) Lee Armus (Spitzer Science Center) Greg Sloan (Cornell University) Ben Sargent (University of Rochester) Jan Cami (NASA-Ames) Vassilis Charmandaris (University of Crete, Greece) James Houck (Cornell University) Tom Soifer (Spitzer Science Center)

The Spitzer Space Telescope is a NASA mission managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This website is maintained by the Spitzer Science Center, located on the campus of the California Institute of Technology and part of NASA's Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.

Crystal Storm in Distant Galaxy