NASA is celebrating The 32nd year of the Hubble Space Telescope in space with a festive view of five galaxies.
Three spiral galaxies, an elliptical galaxy and a lenticular (or lens-like) galaxy are huddled together 300 million light-years away in less than twice the width of the Milky Way’s disk. They have a physical conversation with each other, interact with the gravity of their neighbors and as a result are slightly distorted. Their connection can teach astronomers a great deal about how galaxies formed.
Hickson Compact Group 40, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, STScI IMAGE PROCESSING: Alice Pagan (STScI)
Hubble noticed this cohesive collection by peering into the middle of the constellation Hydra (sea serpent), which is visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This observation is one of more than 1.5 million views of the sky by the NASA / ESA Space Telescope since taking its first image on May 20, 1990.
However, the actual deployment of the telescope took place on April 25, 1990, when the Discovery space shuttle opened its cargo hold and launched the 43-foot telescope into Earth orbit. The five galaxies in the birthday image are commonly known as the Hickson Compact Group 40 (HCG 40).
Hickson Compact Group 40, located in the constellation Hydra.
According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, galaxies are rarely found alone in space. HCG 40 qualifies as a collection of galaxies, and larger collections are known as clusters or clusters.
The incredible five of the HCG 40 will collide in about 1 billion years, according to a description of a new image of NASA. They will probably continue to form a giant elliptical galaxy.
Astronomers believe that galactic collisions were more common in the early universe. Hubble’s location 340 miles above the earth’s surface is crucial to understanding these structures, using their beautiful presence to marvel at the universe and learn how the cosmos has become what it is today.
There is no end in sight to the iconic space telescope. “Hubble’s unique ability to observe visible and ultraviolet light is a critical scientific addition to the infrared observations of the recently launched Web Space Telescope, which will begin scientific observations this summer,” the description said.
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