February 14,1996. Copyright, 1996, Graphic News. All rights reserved

A COLD EYE ON COSMIC COLLISIONS
By Nicholas Booth, Science Editor

LONDON, February 14, Graphic News- Europe's latest telescope in orbit, the Infrared Space Observatory, has peered deep into the heart of two galaxies colliding with each other deep in space. The telescope has discovered that through the turmoil of their collision, new stars are being created, and has detected the presence of a voracious black hole deep within this cosmic catclysm. At a press conference today at the missionÕs main tracking station in Spain, astronomers from the European Space Agency professed themselves delighted with the results as the satellite is still undergoing checkout tests.

ISO measures faint infrared signals from distant objects in space with far greater accuracy and sensitivity than previous missions. After launch on November 17 last year, ISOÕs main camera was targeted towards the so-called Whirlpool Galaxy on November 28. Almost immediately, it detected the characteristic heat of star formation within the galaxyÕs spiral arms. Stars are born deep within dust and gas that cannot be seen with optical light and whose presence can only be detected in the infrared.

But the most exciting results to date come from looking at the two galaxies which are crashing into each other. Known as the Antenna galaxies, they are some 60 million light years away, and each contains many billions of stars. ISO has seen an intense ring of activity at their centre which has never before been seen in the infrared, and it is suspected that this activity is caused by hot material falling into a black hole. A distinct region of star formation can be seen where the two galaxies are coming into contact, effectively regenerating the dust and gas between the existing stars.

The ISO missionÕs overall aim is to investigate the lifecycles of galaxies, providing a population census on the births and deaths of stars within them that has never been attempted before. The price to be paid for ISOÕs unprecedented success is in keeping the telescope sufficiently cold so that its own heat will not swamp the sensitive detectors. To do this, ISO is shielded within a flask of super-cooled liquid helium, the supply of which is limited. But today ESA officials report that helium has been used so sparingly that the mission may last for two years instead of the expected 18 months.

Source: European Space Agency

Editor's Note: ISO photographs of the Whirlpool Galaxy and the Antenna Galaxy are attached to this story. They should be credited to the European Space Agency.