Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have obtained stunning new images of the dwarf elliptical galaxy IC 3430.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the dwarf galaxy IC 3430, located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The color image includes both visible and near-infrared observations by the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The image is based on data obtained through two filters. The colors are obtained by assigning a different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.
IC3430 It is located in the constellation Virgo, about 45 million light years from Earth.
This dwarf galaxy discovered It was discovered on February 15, 1900 by German astronomer Arnold Schwassmann.
Also known as LEDA 41294, UGC 7643, and VCC 1273, it is just 25,000 light-years in diameter.
The IC 3430 is Virgo star cluster is rich in galaxies of all sizes, many of which are very similar in type to this dwarf galaxy.
“IC 3430 is a dwarf galaxy, well reflected in this Hubble Space Telescope image, more accurately known as a dwarf elliptical galaxy, or dE galaxy,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Like its larger cousins, this galaxy has a smooth oval shape with no visible arm or bar features, and it lacks gas to form many new stars.”
“Intriguingly, IC 3430 contains a hot, massive, blue stellar core, a rare phenomenon in elliptical galaxies, indicating recent star formation activity.”
“We believe that shock pressure from a galaxy punching through the gas in the Virgo Cluster ignited remaining gas in IC 3430's core, forming several new stars.”
“Dwarf galaxies are actually galaxies with a small number of stars, typically fewer than a billion, but still often enough to replicate the same shapes as larger galaxies on a smaller scale,” the astronomers said.
“There are dwarf elliptical galaxies like IC 3430, dwarf irregular galaxies, dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and even dwarf spiral galaxies.”
“The so-called Magellanic spiral galaxies are also a type of dwarf galaxy, the best example of which is the well-known dwarf galaxy, the Magellanic Clouds.”
Source: www.sci.news
