This
striking cosmic whirl is the center of galaxy NGC 524, as seen with the
NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This galaxy is located in the
constellation of Pisces, some 90 million light-years from Earth.
NGC 524 is a lenticular galaxy.
Lenticular galaxies are believed to be
an intermediate state in galactic evolution — they are neither
elliptical nor spiral. Spirals are middle-aged galaxies with vast, pin
wheeling arms that contain millions of stars.
Along with these stars are
large clouds of gas and dust that, when dense enough, are the nurseries
where new stars are born. When all the gas is either depleted or lost
into space, the arms gradually fade away and the spiral shape begins to
weaken.
At the end of this process, what remains is a lenticular galaxy —
a bright disc full of old, red stars surrounded by what little gas and
dust the galaxy has managed to cling on to.
This image shows the
shape of NGC 524 in detail, formed by the remaining gas surrounding the
galaxy's central bulge. Observations of this galaxy have revealed that
it maintains some spiral-like motion, explaining its intricate
structure.
Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA,
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt
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