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| The galaxy Leo A, located approximately 2.6 million light-years from Earth, has recently come under the spotlight of astronomical research. |
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of Leo A, a dwarf irregular galaxy located approximately 2.6 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy’s relatively sparse star distribution allows light from distant galaxies to pass through, providing a unique observational window.
Astronomers are keenly interested in dwarf galaxies like Leo A because they are numerous and may hold secrets to understanding galactic formation and evolution. Due to their small size and dimness, studying the most distant dwarf galaxies is challenging. Consequently, scientists focus on those closer to our Milky Way, such as Leo A.
Leo A stands out as one of the most isolated galaxies in the Local Group, which includes our own Milky Way. Its structure appears as a roughly spherical collection of stars without the well-defined features of spiral or elliptical galaxies.
The Hubble data analyzed for this image stem from four observing programs. Three programs investigated star formation histories of nearby dwarf galaxies, while the fourth aimed to refine the mass estimates of the Local Group by examining the motions of dwarf galaxies beyond it.
The observations revealed significant differences in the age and distribution of stars within Leo A. Younger stars are concentrated in the galaxy’s center, while older stars are more prevalent toward the outer regions. Additionally, Hubble’s findings suggest that Leo A’s stellar halo is about one-third larger than previously thought. This distribution implies that star formation in Leo A may have progressed from the outside inward, or that older stars migrated to the outskirts early in the galaxy’s history.