The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image featuring the blue and orange stars of the galaxy called NGC 2188. On a closer first look, the galaxy appears to be made up of a narrow band of stars that produce a mesmerizing look. The astronomers have classified it to be a barred spiral galaxy.
Its tilted shape appears like that from our viewpoint on Earth as the center and the spiral arms are farther away from us. Only the outer edge of the disk, which is comparatively narrower, is visible to us. It can be understood by the example of having a dinner plate in your hands and turning it at a certain angle so that only its outer edge is visible. Scientists found out the true shape of the galaxy when studies were done on the distribution of the stars in the inner central bulge and outer disk and by observing the stars’ colors.
NGC 2188 is thought to be approximately half the size of our galaxy (The Milky Way). It is located in the constellation of Columba (the Dove) at 50,000 light-years across. The constellation itself is named after the prophet Noah’s dove in the biblical stories and is relatively small but has many alluring astronomical objects.
Every now and then, we are blessed with beautiful images from the outer space, courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope. And we can expect many more amazing images in the near future. The James Webb Space Telescope is all set to receive the stardom of being the most magnificent and multifarious orbital observatory to be launched into space. It has seven times the capability of collecting light as Hubble, along with modern infrared imaging technology. With it, scientists mean to find out about distant celestial masses from an unmarred perspective. It is set to launch in 2021.
References: NASA.gov
