The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of a spiral galaxy, adorned by two nearby twinkling stars.
Spiral galaxy NGC 5495. (Image: ESA/Hubble Space Telescope & NASA).
The galaxy NGC 5495 is located 300 million light-years away from Earth. According to officials from the European Space Agency (ESA), NGC 5495 is a Seyfert galaxy. Seyfert galaxies make up about 10% of all galaxies and are among the most studied objects in astronomy. According to NASA, Seyfert galaxies have an “unusually active nucleus” and belong to the group of “active galaxies.”
Seyfert galaxies are one of the two largest groups of active galaxies, alongside quasars. They possess a quasar-like nucleus with very high surface brightness, demonstrated through a spectrum that shows emission lines from highly ionized states. However, unlike quasars, their host galaxies can be clearly identified.
NGC 5495 is particularly noteworthy because it is oriented face-on, allowing for a clear view of its spiral arms and core. Although the image may not be exceptionally clear from this angle, the spiral galaxy NGC 5495 appears to be enveloped in a halo located just above and below the galactic disk.
Astronomers believe that spiral galaxies eventually evolve into elliptical galaxies, which are composed of older stars and contain less gas.
