In 2018, A image from the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the striking beauty of NGC 5033, an unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. With a diameter of over 100,000 light-years, NGC 5033 is comparable in size to our Milky Way galaxy.
The galaxy’s spiral arms are punctuated with vivid blue regions, signaling active star formation. These areas are home to young, hot stars, while the galaxy’s center, populated by older stars, gives it a reddish hue. Unlike the Milky Way, NGC 5033 lacks a central bar and features a dynamic core known as an active galactic nucleus. This nucleus is fueled by a supermassive black hole, making NGC 5033 a Seyfert galaxy.
The galaxy’s core is exceptionally bright and emits across the entire electromagnetic spectrum due to the intense activity of the central black hole, which is currently consuming nearby stars, dust, and gas. This process generates radiation in various wavelengths.
NGC 5033’s relative proximity to Earth not only makes it an excellent subject for professional astronomers studying its active nucleus but also a captivating object for amateur astronomers due to its size and brightness in the night sky.