Due to the lapse in federal government funding, NASA is not updating this website.

Suggested Searches

 

1 min read

Galaxy ESO 137-001: Visible and X-ray (Hubble, Chandra)

Spiral galaxy with a blue tail

This composite view of ESO 137-001 includes visible light from Hubble and X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory (in blue). It reveals a tail of hot gas that has been stripped from the galaxy.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    16 13 24.20
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -60° 45' 29.03"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Triangulum Australe
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    220 million light-years
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    ESO 137-001
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Spiral galaxy
  • Release Date
    April 17, 2019
  • Science Release
    A “Jellyfish” Galaxy Swims Into View of NASA’s Upcoming Webb Telescope
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, CXC

Downloads

  • Full Res, 4910 × 4887
    jpg (13.24 MB)

Related Images & Videos

Left of center is a galaxy that looks like a white-and-blue swirl with several blue filaments that trail downward. Its transparent white spiral arms rotate in a clockwise motion.

Galaxy ESO 137-001: Visible (Hubble)

The spiral galaxy ESO 137-001, seen here in an image from Hubble, is an example of a “jellyfish” galaxy, because blue tendrils of star formation stream away from it like jellyfish tentacles.

Sketch of a telescope with title text, "What Is a Galaxy?"

What Is a Galaxy?

Galaxies are concentrations of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are fated to collide, like the Milky Way and Andromeda.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, CXC

Related Terms

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

Space Telescope

Science Overview

Webb Observatory

Webb Image Galleries