2 min read

Hubble’s Double Take on a Spiral Galaxy

Face-on spiral galaxy, with a bright yellow-white core. spiral arms sweep out from the core, reddish-brown dust lanes outline the inner part of the arms.
ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Kasliwal, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

The magnificent spiral galaxy M99 fills the frame in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. M99 – which lies roughly 42 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices – is a “grand design” spiral galaxy, so-called because of the well-defined, prominent spiral arms visible in this image. Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 captured M99 on two separate occasions, helping astronomers study two entirely different astronomical phenomena. The image above includes data from both sets of observations.

The first set of observations aimed to explore a gap between two different varieties of cosmic explosions: novae and supernovae. The interactions between white dwarfs and larger stars in binary systems cause novae. They are much dimmer than supernovae which mark the catastrophically violent deaths of massive stars. However, current astronomical theories predict that sudden, fleeting events could occur that shine with a brightness between that of novae and supernovae. Although shrouded in mystery and controversy, astronomers observed such an event in M99 and turned to Hubble for its keen vision to take a closer look and precisely locate the fading source.

The second set of observations were part of a large Hubble project aimed at charting the connections between young stars and the clouds of cold gas from which they form. Hubble inspected 38 nearby galaxies, identifying clusters of hot, young stars. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a colossal radio telescope consisting of 66 individual dishes perched high on the Atacama Desert Plateau just west of the Chilean Andes, also observed these 38 galaxes. The combination of Hubble’s observations of young stars and ALMA’s view into clouds of cold gas will allow astronomers to delve into the details of star formation and paves the way for future science with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.

Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Media Contacts:

Claire Andreoli
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-1940

Share

Details

Last Updated
Oct 04, 2023
Editor
NASA Hubble Mission Team
Contact
NASA Hubble Mission Team

Related Terms

Explore More

A collage of space-themed citizen science project logos, including 'Milky Way Project,' 'Exoplanet Explorers,' 'Cool Neighbors,' 'Disk Detective,' and 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9.
2 min read

NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft Re-Enters Atmosphere, But More Discoveries Await!

Article2 days ago
An animated gif showing a side-by-side comparison reveals Venus surface images. The left, labeled "WISPR," is captured via the Parker Solar Probe, showcasing a blurry grayscale view. The right, labeled "RADAR," presents a vibrant surface map in green, blue, and reddish hues using visible light imaging.
4 min read

Final Venus Flyby for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Queues Closest Sun Pass

Article2 days ago
A young woman with curly blonde hair wearing a cozy sweater smiles at the camera, standing in a modern hallway with plants in the background.
2 min read

Sadie Coffin Named Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences/NASA Citizen Science Leaders Series Fellow

Article2 days ago
Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

Perseverance Rover

Parker Solar Probe

Juno