UCSC: MaNGA Data Release Includes Thousands of Nearby Galaxies

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UCSC: MaNGA Data Release Includes Thousands of Nearby Galaxies

Post by bystander » Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:16 pm

MaNGA Data Release Includes Maps of Thousands of Nearby Galaxies
University of California, Santa Cruz | 2019 Jan 29
The latest data release from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) includes observations revealing the internal structure and composition of nearly 5,000 nearby galaxies observed during the first three years of a program called Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA).

MaNGA uses a technique called resolved spectroscopy to study galaxies in much greater detail than previous surveys. Spectroscopy is a powerful tool for astronomers, yielding a wealth of information by measuring how much light an object emits at different wavelengths. In the past, astronomers typically acquired just one spectrum for each galaxy, but resolved spectroscopy (also called integral field spectroscopy) obtains hundreds of separate spectra covering every location within the galaxy. ...

One of three programs in the fourth phase of SDSS, MaNGA will eventually study a representative sample of some 10,000 nearby galaxies. Bundy said the survey is more than half way toward that goal and on track to reach it by 2020. Data from 4,621 galaxies are now publicly available as part of the 15th SDSS data release (the third data release for SDSS-IV). ...

A powerful new interface called Marvin provides access to the MaNGA data and galaxy maps based on analyses of the data. Marvin includes a wide range of tools for searching, accessing, and visualizing the data. The Marvin web site offers easy access to a wealth of information about each galaxy, including maps of key features such as star formation, stellar motion, emission lines, and dozens of other properties important to astronomers. ...

Another important part of this data release is the MaNGA Stellar Library containing spectra of more than 3,000 stars in our Milky Way galaxy. When complete, it will include 5,000 to 6,000 stars. Researchers can use the spectra of these individual stars to try to reconstruct the spectrum of a galaxy and thereby figure out that galaxy's unique mix of different star types. ...

The Fifteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: First Release
of MaNGA Derived Quantities, Data Visualization Tools and Stellar Library
~ D. S. Aguado et al
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