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The image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases NGC 3783, a luminous barred spiral galaxy situated roughly 130 million light-years away from our planet. Notably, NGC 3783 also presides over the NGC 3783 galaxy group, a collection of gravitationally bound galaxies akin to galaxy clusters but with fewer constituents. While galaxy clusters can boast hundreds or thousands of member galaxies, galaxy groups typically house fewer than 50.
Within our cosmic neighborhood lies the Local Group, of which the Milky Way is a member, along with Andromeda, the Triangulum galaxy, and numerous satellite and dwarf galaxies. The NGC 3783 galaxy group, comprising 47 galaxies, appears to be in an early evolutionary stage, presenting an intriguing subject for scientific exploration.
In the focal point of this image lies the spiral galaxy NGC 3783, but attention is readily drawn to a luminous object in the lower right corner – the star HD 101274. Despite their apparent proximity, this is merely a visual deception; HD 101274 is a mere 1,530 light-years away from Earth, approximately 85,000 times closer than NGC 3783, explaining its dominance in the image. NGC 3783 belongs to the category of type-1 Seyfert galaxies, characterized by a brilliant central region.
Hubble’s meticulous observations reveal intricate details, from its radiant central bar to its sinuous arms intricately veiled in dust. Remarkably, the intense brightness of the galactic core results in diffraction spikes, a phenomenon typically associated with stars like HD 101274.