Hubble Captures Edge-On Spiral Galaxy NGC 1827 in the Constellation Columba
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new view of NGC 1827, an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the southern constellation of Columba.
This Hubble image shows intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 1827 edge-on. Image credits: NASA / ESA / California Institute of Technology Michael Jones / NASA Gladys Kober / Catholic University of America.
NGC 1827: A Spiral Galaxy 37 Million Light-Years Away
NGC 1827 is located in the southern constellation of Columba, approximately 37 million light-years from Earth.
The galaxy was proposed by British astronomer John Herschel on November 28, 1837. NGC 1827 is also known as ESO 362-6, LEDA 16849, and IRAS 05083-3701.
NGC 1827 belongs to the NGC 1792/1808 galaxy group, a collection of galaxies that includes the nearby galaxies NGC 1792 and NGC 1808.
What Hubble Reveals About the Galaxy
The new observations were captured using Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instrument.
“This image reveals bright blue regions along the galaxy’s disk, dotted with dark dust lanes where new stars are likely forming,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
A bright foreground star appears just to the left of NGC 1827’s central bulge. The star is located between Earth and the distant galaxy.
The four prominent diffraction spikes surrounding the star are caused by light bending around the internal support structure that holds Hubble’s secondary mirror.
Hubble Survey of Low-Mass Galaxies
The image is part of a Hubble survey examining 260 satellite galaxies orbiting 22 Milky Way-like host galaxies within approximately 32 million light-years of Earth.
Astronomers have observed 111 of these satellite galaxies so far. The remaining 149 require one orbit each.
“Low-mass galaxies, such as those included in this Hubble observing program, provide a way to test the predictions of small-scale cosmological models that are difficult to reconcile with observations,” the researchers explained.
“The data collected by Hubble will help us better understand and characterize the properties of low-mass galaxies in the Milky Way, allowing researchers to improve cosmological models.”
Source: www.sci.news