Hubble captures barred spiral galaxy IC 486 |
Hubble captures barred spiral galaxy IC 486
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a face-on barred spiral galaxy. The new stars are in the fringes, while the older stars occupy the central regions.
New Delhi: The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a barred spiral galaxy designated as IC 486 at a distance of 380 million lightyears from the Earth, located on the edge of the constellation of Gemini. The galaxy is face-on, and features a bright central bar from which the two prominent spiral arms unfurl around the core. Hubble has revealed subtle variations in colour across the galaxy, that allows astronomers to determine the age of the star. The pale, luminous central regions is dominated by older redder........