About the Siena Galaxy Atlas:
- It is a digital atlas that was created to get to know our universe better through several of the known galaxies.
- It was created using data from three astronomical surveys collected between 2014 and 2017 at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). Together, these surveys are known as the DESI Legacy Surveys.
- How is it different from other atlases?
- It is dependent on state-of-the-art digital images captured by advanced technology, unlike previous atlases, which relied on antiquated equipment and photographic plates.
- As it is built on the images captured with highly sensitive instruments, it boasts the most accurate data.
- It is also the first cosmic atlas to feature the light profiles of galaxies - a curve that describes how the brightness of the galaxy changes from its brightest point to its dimmest.
- Significance
- Cosmic atlases help astronomers spot patterns that help categorise new discoveries, such as stars that suddenly flare and then disappear (thus called ‘transients’).
- These atlases also allow astronomers to identify which objects are contenders for detailed follow-up studies.
- It helps in investigating everything from the births and evolutions of galaxies to the distribution of dark matter and propagation of gravitational waves through space.
