The image was obtained with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, shows spiral galaxy NGC 7793 in all its glory

Sep 29, 2014 19:57 GMT  ·  By
The Hubble Space Telescope sees explosions and violent jets in distant spiral galaxy
   The Hubble Space Telescope sees explosions and violent jets in distant spiral galaxy

Not too long ago, the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched into Earth's orbit back in 1990, obtained a positively epic image of a spiral galaxy located at a distance of about 13 million light-years from our planet.

The image in question, recently shared with the general public by researchers with NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the US), is available next to this article. Needless to say, you are more than welcome to have a close look at it.

Not your regular spiral galaxy

As already mentioned, the galaxy shown in this Hubble Space Telescope image sits a distance of well over a dozen million light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Sculptor.

According to NASA astronomers, the galaxy's official name is NGC 7793. It is part and parcel of a crew of galaxies known as the Sculptor Group. In fact, it is one of this group's brightest members, Phys Org informs.

If you've taken the time to have a look at the new Hubble image of this galaxy, you might have noticed that its spiral structure is by no means noticeable at a first glance. However, at a closer look, it becomes obvious that this galaxy has a central bulge from which spiral arms emerge.

What makes it difficult to identify NGC 7793 as a spiral galaxy – except for the fact that its structure is not very well defined to begin with, that is – is the fact that dark dust stretching across the frame obscures its silhouette.

As noticeable in this Hubble Space Telescope image, this spiral galaxy packs regions that, every once in a while, let out bursts of bright pink light. Scientists who have taken the time to study NGC 7793 say that these regions are the ones currently forming new stars.

Not a very quiet place

When observed from afar, this spiral galaxy appears a fairly calm place. Still, astronomers say that this is by no means the case. On the contrary, the star-forming processes now ongoing in this part of the universe are causing quite a lot of commotion.

What's more, NGC 7793 appears to be home to an odd system comprising a black hole that is busy chomping down material from a star located in its proximity. This system, referred to as a micro-quasar by the scientific community, is gradually transforming the spiral galaxy.

Thus, researchers say that the material that the black hole is looking to feed on now forms a swirling disk around it. Of the gas moving towards the black hole, some is coughed back again in violent jets headed in all possible directions. It is believed that, in time, these jets will create a bubble of hot gas measuring about 1,000 light-years in diameter.

Despite the fact that this spiral galaxy is located at a distance of 13 million light-years from our planet, researchers say that they can keep tabs on the explosions and violent jets ripping through it with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope and other similar instruments.