Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an amazing new photo of a spiral galaxy called UGC 12588.
This Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy UGC 12588. The color image was made from separate exposures taken in the visible region of the spectrum with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Two filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Tully / Gagandeep Anand.
UGC 12588 lies approximately 31 million light-years away in the constellation of Andromeda.
Otherwise known as IRAS 23223+4104 or LEDA 71368, it belongs to the Local Group, an enormous gathering of over 50 galaxies, including the Milky Way and Andromeda.
“Unlike many spiral galaxies, UGC 12588 displays neither a bar of stars across its center nor the classic prominent spiral arm pattern,” Hubble astronomer said.
“Instead, to a viewer, its circular, white and mostly unstructured center makes this galaxy more reminiscent of a cinnamon bun than a mega-structure of stars and gas in space.”
“Lying in the constellation of Andromeda in the northern hemisphere, UGC 12588 is classified as a spiral galaxy,” they added.
“Unlike the classic image of a spiral galaxy, however, the huge arms of stars and gas in UGC 12588 are very faint, undistinguished, and tightly wound around its center.”
“The clearest view of the spiral arms comes from the bluer stars sprinkled around the edges of the galaxy that highlight the regions where new star formation is most likely taking place.”
