UNITED STATES: NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope recently celebrated its 33rd launch anniversary by sending a breathtaking image of two neighbouring galaxies, NGC 4302 and NGC 4298. These galaxies are part of the Virgo Cluster, a group of about 2000 galaxies that have been drawn together by gravitational force.
The image was posted by the American space agency on their Instagram feed with the caption, “Look at those two buddies. Just hanging out. Doing their thing.”
The image captures the edge-on galaxy NGC 4302 and the tilted galaxy NGC 4298, which are approximately 55 million light-years away and reside in Coma Berenices’ constellation. They were found together by astronomer William Herschel in 1784.
The picture provides a peek at what our Milky Way galaxy would appear like to someone looking in from the outside. Although they look different from one another due to our perspective, they are structurally similar and have arms of young stars that wind outward from their centres. These bright arms are regions of intense star formation and are typical of spiral galaxies.
A galaxy on its disc is depicted on the left side of the image at a 90-degree angle to Earth, forming a narrow, diagonal line through space that resembles a tear in a painting. Darker, redder star lanes outline its form.
A massive spiral galaxy to the right of the photograph leaves behind long trails of stars and gas in blue hues that become yellow as they approach the galactic centre. The image’s background depicts the pitch-blackness of space, with sporadic brilliant spots representing far-off stars and galaxies.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of distant galaxies, stars, and other celestial objects for over three decades. It has revolutionised our understanding of the universe and provided insights into its origin and evolution.
The telescope has made numerous scientific discoveries, including measuring the Hubble constant, which helps describe the universe.
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990, and has since been serviced by astronauts several times. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble, who made groundbreaking discoveries about the universe in the early 20th century.
The images of NGC 4302 and NGC 4298 are a testament to the Hubble Space Telescope’s capabilities and its contribution to our understanding of the cosmos. It reminds us of the vastness and beauty of the universe and the importance of continued exploration and discovery.
As technology advances, we can expect even more stunning images and groundbreaking findings from the Hubble Space Telescope and other space exploration missions.
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