10/2/2023 0 Comments Galatic science polytoolWhile the LIFU mode contains hundreds of fibers in a compact distribution, essential for imaging extended areas of the sky, in the MOS mode about a thousand individual fibers can be placed (by two robots) to simultaneously collect light from stars, galaxies or quasars. The versatility of WEAVE is one of its main strengths. It can work at two different spectral resolutions, which are used to measure the speeds of objects in the line of sight (using the Doppler effect) and to determine their chemical composition. The WEAVE spectrograph uses optical fibers to collect light from celestial objects and transmits it to a spectrograph that separates the light according to its different wavelengths. We look forward to announcing soon the first-light events for the other observing modes, which are currently in the final calibration stage." The ING telescopes will continue to deliver results of high scientific impact in the coming years. "We are pleased to demonstrate that the LIFU part of WEAVE not only works, but produces high-quality data. It has been fantastic to receive financial support from the national research agencies of the three ING partner countries (UK, Spain and the Netherlands) and contributions from other non-ING countries (France and Italy)." ING director Marc Balcells explains that their goal is "to install a unique instrument that will allows us to carry out cutting-edge astronomical research. From these data, we can learn how galaxy collisions transform the other galaxies in the group. Among other information, these spectra reveal essential details to study collision processes, such as the motion and distribution of stars and gas, and their chemical composition. WEAVE's LIFU has measured a large number of individual spectra of the two central galaxies of Stephan's Quintet and their surroundings, examining the intensity of the colors of their light, from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. When using the LIFU, 547 very compact optical fibers transmit light from a hexagonal area of the sky to the spectrograph, where it is analyzed and recorded. The first-light observations were carried out with the so-called Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) fiber array, one of WEAVE's three fiber systems. Its galaxies, four of which are 280 million light-years from Earth, are colliding with each other, providing an excellent close-up laboratory to study the consequences of galaxy collisions and their subsequent evolution. WEAVE targeted NGC 7318a and NGC 7318b, two galaxies at the center of Stephan's Quintet. Quasars will be used as beacons to map the spatial distribution and interaction of gas and galaxies when the universe was only about 20% of today's age.įirst-light observations: Stephan's Quintet galaxies ![]() Nearby and distant galaxies will be studied to learn the history of how they grew. Together with the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite, WEAVE will be used to obtain spectra of several million stars in the disk and halo of our galaxy, and thus to do archeology of the Milky Way. ![]() It is a powerful new generation multifiber spectrograph in the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Canary Islands), which has recently been launched and is already generating high-quality data.Īstronomers from all over Europe have planned eight surveys for observation with WEAVE, including studies of stellar evolution, the Milky Way, galaxy evolution and cosmology. The Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) and the WEAVE instrument team have presented first-light observations with the WEAVE spectrograph. The first observations show unprecedented aspects of the collision between the galaxies at the heart of Stephan's Quintet, 280 million light-years from Earth. Combined with Gaia's measurements, it makes it possible to study a wide range of cases in stellar and galactic science.
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