 |  | | | | Spiral Galaxy M81
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8.24.05
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image of the spiral galaxy M81, located some 12 million light years from Earth. The infrared radiation emitted by polycyclic nitrogen-containing aromatic hydrocarbon (PANH) molecules is shown in red. This emission is excited by star (and planet) formation along the edges of the spiral arms.
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A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with nitrogen. The blue balls are the carbon atoms that make the chicken-wire shaped PAH skeleton and the yellow balls show the hydrogen atoms which are attached to the edge. The red shows the position of a nitrogen atom which fits almost perfectly within the molecule.
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