Hubble Spies a Spectacular Spiral Galaxy



The majestic Wide Field Camera 3 image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 5495's stately, arching spiral arms. NGC 5495 is a Seyfert galaxy, a kind of galaxy with a very brilliant center region, and is around 300 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Hydra. The electromagnetic radiation released by dust and gas sucked into a supermassive black hole dominates the electromagnetic radiation in these extremely bright cores, which astronomers refer to as active galactic nuclei.

A series of observations, including this one, were made by astronomers who are investigating supermassive black holes that are hiding in the centers of distant galaxies. It can be particularly difficult to study the central regions of galaxies since they are so brilliant due to a combination of star formation regions, light from existing stars, and light produced by materials falling into supermassive black holes. Astronomers were able to separate the numerous sources of light at the center of NGC 5495 because of Hubble's razor-sharp vision. They were able to precisely weigh its supermassive black hole because to this.

In addition to NGC 5495, two star interlopers can be seen in this picture. One is located just beyond NGC 5495's core, and the other is prominently shown next to the galaxy. These objects, which are stars from our own Milky Way, are far closer to Earth than NGC 5495 despite being in the same general area of the sky. Diffraction spikes are arranged crosswise around the brilliant stars. These are optical blemishes brought up by the Hubble's interior structure interacting with starlight.

By ESA/HUBBLE 

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