This image of the nearby galaxy NGC 1087 was obtained by combining observations taken with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. NGC 1087 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 80 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus. The image is a combination of observations conducted at different wavelengths of light to map stellar populations and gas. ALMA’s observations are represented in brownish-orange tones and highlight the clouds of cold molecular gas that provide the raw material from which stars form. The MUSE data show up mainly in gold and blue. The bright golden glows map warm clouds of mainly ionised hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur gas, marking the presence of newly born stars, while the bluish regions reveal the distribution of slightly older stars.

The image was taken as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) project, which is making high-resolution observations of nearby galaxies with telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Credit:

ESO/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/PHANGS

Coordinates
Position (RA):  	2 46 25.16
Position (Dec): 	0° 29' 56.26"
Field of view:  	2.95 x 1.99 arcminutes
Orientation:    	North is 90.0° left of vertical

Colours & filters      Band	Telescope
Optical OIII       	499 nm	Very Large Telescope MUSE
Optical G           	475 nm	Very Large Telescope MUSE
Optical H-alpha     	656 nm	Very Large Telescope MUSE
Optical R           	630 nm	Very Large Telescope MUSE
Optical SII         	673 nm	Very Large Telescope MUSE
Optical I           	775 nm	Very Large Telescope MOSAIC 
Millimeter CO [2–1] 	1.2 cm	Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6