Sparkling ... spiral galaxy
THIS amazing burst of light is an infrared image of the Pinwheel galaxy – a spiral of stars around 27 million light years away. The snap, taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, reveals distinctive bright reddish edges around the galaxy.
Research from Spitzer has revealed that this outer red zone lacks the organic molecules that provide the building blocks of life, which are present in the rest of the galaxy.
The red and blue spots outside of the galaxy, which is also known as Messier 101, are either foreground stars or more distant galaxies.
According to astronomers, harsh radiation from the stars is destroying the organic material around the galaxy's rim.
