The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an object that scientists are unable to classify, located 54 million light-years away from us.
According to NASA, most galaxies that humanity has observed previously fall into one of two basic categories known as “spiral galaxies” or “elliptical galaxies.”
However, NGC 4694, a galaxy located 54 million light-years away in the Virgo cluster, appears to hover between these two completely opposing types of galaxies.
The perplexing object NGC 4694 – (Image: NASA/ESA).
Spiral galaxies are young and dynamic, filled with the gas necessary for forming new stars, displaying spiral arms that host these bright, hot young stars.
In contrast, elliptical galaxies are quieter, containing older, redder stars, without the vibrant spiral arms.
NGC 4694 features a smooth disk lacking spiral arms, suggesting it has the overall appearance of an elliptical galaxy.
Yet, this object also possesses a relatively young star population, with new stars actively forming in its core, creating a brilliant central region with a distinctly different star configuration compared to classic elliptical galaxies.
While elliptical galaxies typically contain a significant amount of dust, they often lack the fuel necessary to form new stars.
NGC 4694 is filled with hydrogen gas and dust commonly found in a young, active spiral galaxy, and a massive, invisible cloud of hydrogen gas is surrounding the galaxy.
Further analysis reveals that this surrounding hydrogen cloud forms a long bridge leading to a distant dwarf galaxy known as VCC 2062.
Thus, scientists conclude that this is the key to the galaxy’s uniqueness.
The “between two worlds” object NGC 4694 may have originally been a true elliptical galaxy that has been rejuvenated in a manner akin to a mythical vampire.
The two galaxies likely experienced a violent collision, with the larger NGC 4694 accumulating gas from the smaller galaxy.
This collision has contributed to NGC 4694’s unique shape and star formation activity, making it almost a non-classical galaxy group, a concept mentioned relatively recently and with very few representatives.
Lenticular galaxies lack distinct spiral arms but still possess a bulge and disk at their center. They also contain more star-forming gas than a typical elliptical galaxy.
However, there are still many characteristics that make NGC 4694 difficult to classify.
“We need to dig a little deeper to uncover their true nature, and thanks to Hubble, we have the opportunity to explore their secrets.” – NASA stated.
