MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory), has been exploring the detailed internal structure of nearly 10,000 nearby galaxies since 2014. Earlier SDSS surveys only allowed spectra to be observed from the center of galaxies. By using a two-dimensional array of optical fibers bundled together into a hexagonal shape, MaNGA will be able to use spatially resolved spectroscopy to construct maps of the areas within galaxies, allowing deeper analysis of their structure such as radial velocities and star formation regions[1]. The hope of MaNGA is to enable further studies of astrophysics in nearby galaxies, with the project expected to continue until 2020[2].
- ^ "MaNGA". SDSS.
- ^ Bundy, Kevin; Bershady, Matthew A.; Law, David R.; et al. (3 Dec 2014). "OVERVIEW OF THE SDSS-IV MANGA SURVEY: MAPPING NEARBY GALAXIES AT APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY" (PDF). ApJ. 798: 7. arXiv:1412.1482. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/798/1/7. hdl:2152/34759. S2CID 53707289.