It may appear as another spiral galaxy among the billions of people in the universe, but a new image of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope revealed that there is much to study in this galaxy.
The spiral galaxy known as NGC 7456 is located 51 million light years away from the constellation Gurus (crane).
Based on the Hubble image, you can see details of the Galaxy’s patchy spiral arm, followed by a dark, ambiguous mass of dust. The sparkling pink flowers are gas-rich reservoirs where new stars are forming, illuminating the surrounding clouds, and the gas emits the red light of this story.
Collecting this data, the Hubble observation program focused on the amazing activity of the galaxy, tracking new stars, hydrogen clouds and clusters of stars to learn how the galaxy evolved over time.
What are spiral galaxies and what makes them unique?
Spiral galaxies are a type of galaxy characterized by their distinct, spiral structure. They are usually made up of flat, spinning discs containing stars, gas and dust, and center concentrations of older stars known as bulges.
The spiral arms extend from the center outward and wind around the galaxy, often appearing bright due to the presence of young hot stars and star-forming regions.
What makes a spiral galaxy unique is its well-defined spiral structure. This is not commonly seen in other galaxy types, such as elliptical and irregular galaxies.
The arm is the site of active star formation, fueled by interstellar gas and dust abundance. This gives these galaxies a bluish tint, especially in their arms, with optical light.
Another distinctive feature is the presence of a rotating disk that contributes to the overall flat shape of the galaxy.
Many spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, are also characterized by a central bar-shaped structure where the arms appear.
Spiral galaxies are one of the most studied because they make it easier to observe star formation and galaxy dynamics.
Their organized, yet dynamic nature provides valuable insight into galaxy evolution and the life cycle of stars.
X-ray source discovery from NGC 7456
With the ability to capture visible, ultraviolet rays, and some infrared rays, Hubble is not the only observatory to focus on this unique spiral galaxy.
ESA’s XMM-Newton satellite imaged X-rays multiple times from galaxies and discovered many so-called ultra-armin X-ray sources. Given their size, these small, compact objects emit a much more dreadfully powerful x-ray than researchers would expect.
Astronomers are still trying to fix what moves these extreme objects, and the NGC 7456 contributes to several more examples.
The different paths that astronomers study
The area around the galaxy’s super-large black holes is also spectacularly bright and energetic, making the NGC 7456 an active galaxy.
With visible light or x-rays, whether seen in the suburbs or not, this unique galaxy has something interesting for astronomers to study.
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