The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced an outstanding image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7496.
This Hubble image shows NGC 7496, a barred spiral galaxy some 24 million light-years away in the constellation of Grus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Lee / PHANGS-HST Team / Judy Schmidt, www.geckzilla.com.
NGC 7496 was discovered on September 5, 1834 by the English astronomer John Herschel.
Otherwise known as ESO 291-1, LEDA 70588 and IRAS 23069-4341, the galaxy is about 70,000 light-years across.
NGC 7496 is located approximately 24 million light-years away in the constellation of Grus.
“This constellation, whose name is Latin for crane, is one of four constellations collectively known as the Southern Birds,” Hubble astronomers said.
“The others are Pavo, Phoenix and Tucana, which depict a peacock, phoenix, and toucan respectively.”
“The rest of the night sky is also home to a flock of ornithological constellations, including an eagle (Aquilla), swan (Cygnus), crow (Corvus), and dove (Columba).”
This new image of NGC 7496 is made up of observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
It is based on data obtained through five filters. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“This image comes from a collection of observations delving into the relationship between young stars and the cold, dense clouds of gas in which they form,” the researchers said.
“In addition to observations with the WFC3 instrument, the astronomers behind this project gathered data using Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), one of the largest radio telescopes in the world.”
“As well as shedding light on the speed and efficiency of star formation in a variety of galactic environments, this project is also creating a treasury of data incorporating both Hubble and ALMA observations.”
“This treasure trove of data from two of the world’s most capable observatories will contribute to wider research into star formation, as well as paving the way for future science with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.”
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