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Illustration of Comet-Like Objects Racing Through Galaxy’s Center

This artist's illustration offers a "window seat" view of comet-like clouds of gas racing through the heart of the Cartwheel galaxy at 700,000 mph. The large orange and yellow pancake-like object is the galaxy's core, and the white streaks along its edges are the comet-like objects. The objects probably were spawned by a collision between high-speed and slow-moving material. The "heads" are a few hundred light-years across; the tails are several thousand light-years long. The string of bright lights in the background is the galaxy's outer ring of young stars. The galaxy is 500 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.00h 37m 41.09s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-33° 42' 59.0"
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Cartwheel Galaxy
- Release DateNovember 26, 1996
- Science ReleaseHubble Spies Supersonic “Comet-Clouds” in Heart of Galaxy
- CreditCredit: J. Gitlin (Space Telescope Science Institute), and NASA
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Supersonic Comet-Like Objects (right) in Heart of the Cartwheel Galaxy (left)
Researchers analyzing the Hubble Space Telescope's dramatic pictures of the Cartwheel galaxy have discovered immense comet-like clouds of gas speeding through the heart of the galaxy at nearly 700,000 mph. Located 500 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor, the...

Hubble Images Reveal Supersonic Comet-Like Objects in Heart of Galaxy
Researchers analyzing the Hubble Space Telescope's dramatic images of the Cartwheel galaxy have discovered immense comet-like clouds of gas speeding at nearly 700,000 mph through the galaxy's core. [Image on left] - The Cartwheel is part of a group of four galaxies, as shown in...
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov