Astronomers utilizing the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning new image of the Face-On Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 3507.
This Hubble image illustrates the NGC 3507, a barred spiral galaxy located 46 million light years away in the constellation Leo. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.
NGC 3507 is situated approximately 46 million light years from Earth in the Leo constellation.
Also referred to as Hipass J1103+18, Leda 33390, or UGC 6123, this galaxy spans nearly 50,000 light years.
It was discovered on March 14, 1784, by the German-British astronomer William Herschel and is paired with the large spiral galaxy NGC 3501.
A Hubble astronomer explained, “NGC 3507 is classified as a barred spiral because its prominent spiral arms emerge from the edge of the galaxy’s central bar instead of its center.”
“In this image, we focus on NGC 3507, which is alongside its galactic companion NGC 3501, though NGC 3501 lies outside the frame.”
“While the NGC 3507 follows the typical spiral galaxy structure, its companion has a more dynamic appearance as it travels through space.”
“Though both are classified as spiral galaxies, they present themselves differently depending on the observed angle.”
“Features like spiral arms, dusty gas clouds, and vibrant star clusters are vividly displayed for galaxies as distant as NGC 3507 and NGC 3501,” the researchers noted.
“Distant galaxies tend to lack fine details.”
“See if you can identify other distant galaxies in this image; they often appear orange or yellow, showcasing hints of spiral arms with variations from round stars to elongated shapes.”
Along with its distant neighbors, NGC 3507 also features much closer objects, identifiable by four light spikes, which represent a star in the Milky Way, located merely 436 light years from Earth.
Source: www.sci.news
