Animation illustrating the distribution of diazenylium and hydrogen cyanide within the Whirlpool Galaxy. Starting from an overview of the galaxy captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the animation zooms in on the central region. Subsequently, overlays of the signatures of both molecules are presented. While their intensity uniformly increases and decreases across the spiral arms, the brightness of hydrogen cyanide emission rises more significantly in the central area than diazenylium.
More information in the press release “The birthplaces of stars in the Whirlpool Galaxy”.
