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| This captivating image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases the spiral galaxy NGC 1672, highlighted by the dramatic presence of a supernova. |
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of NGC 1672, a barred spiral galaxy located 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado. This galaxy, a cosmic symphony of light, is a visual spectacle of stars, gas, and explosive events, offering astronomers a rare glimpse into the dynamic processes at play within galaxies.
NGC 1672 is a quintessential spiral galaxy, with its luminous disk filled with shining stars. The galaxy’s two large spiral arms are adorned with glowing bubbles of hydrogen gas, illuminated by the radiation from young, hot stars hidden within. At the center of the galaxy lies a ring of intense energy, where newly formed stars emit powerful X-rays. Even closer to the heart of the galaxy is an active galactic nucleus—a supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk of heated matter. This region makes NGC 1672 a Seyfert galaxy, characterized by its bright X-ray emissions caused by the swirling gas falling toward the black hole.
Adding to the drama of the galaxy’s features, Hubble also caught the fleeting light of a supernova—SN 2017GAX—a Type I supernova resulting from the explosion of a massive star. The supernova, which briefly lit up the night sky, is visible as a small green dot in the image, near the right spiral arm of the galaxy. In a cosmic race against time, astronomers captured this moment of the supernova’s fading light in hopes of identifying any companion star the progenitor might have had.
In addition to Hubble’s observations, NGC 1672 was recently imaged by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, providing a fresh view of the galaxy’s intricate dust structures and glowing gas rings. A comparison between the Webb and Hubble images highlights the contrast in how each telescope reveals different aspects of this distant galaxy, with Webb offering a closer look at the detailed ring of gas and dust, while Hubble provides a broader cosmic perspective.
Together, these telescopes continue to unlock the mysteries of distant galaxies, offering a visual feast of new data about the life cycle of stars, the behavior of supermassive black holes, and the formation of galaxies like NGC 1672.