“Feathered Spiral Galaxy” discovered by NASA Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope of NASA recently identified a feathered spiral galaxy. The galaxy is located 67 million light years away.

About the Galaxy

The Galaxy has a spiral pattern and feathery nature. The galaxy has been classified as flocculent or fluffy looking. The spiral arms in the galaxy indicate that it hasn’t formed any stars for a while. Also, there was no star formation at the centre of the galaxy. The centre part is dominated by a large empty galactic bulge where all the stars were converted into gas long ago.

Stars in the Galaxy

The galaxy has millions of bright, young and blue stars. These stars trigger star formation in nearby gas clouds.

Feather like Formations

The feather like formations in the galaxy are formed by shearing of gas clouds. The shearing occurs due to the rotation of the galaxy.

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 and it travels around the earth at a speed of 5 miles per second. The telescope takes pictures of stars, galaxies and planets. The telescope in its 30 years of service has observed comets and spotted black holes, explosions and has helped scientists learn more about the universe.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2020