The focal point of this brand-new Hubble Space Telescope image is a spiral galaxy glistening with star clusters

  The space in unique way

Space galaxy 

The focal point of this brand-new Hubble Space Telescope image is a spiral galaxy glistening with star clusters. 53 million light-years away, in the constellation Antlia (The Air Pump), is NGC 3137. This target, a nearby spiral galaxy, provides astronomers with an excellent opportunity to investigate the cycle of stellar birth and death and a glimpse of a galactic system comparable to our own. Astronomers are especially interested in NGC 3137 because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that are thought to be similar to the Local Group, which is the group of galaxies that make up the Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group includes two massive spiral galaxies that Hubble has also observed: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175. The Milky Way galaxy and the spiral galaxy Andromeda make up the majority of the Local Group. Although it is not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has, researchers have discovered more than 500 candidates for dwarf galaxies. Both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies in addition to the two large spiral galaxies that are found in each group. Astronomers can gain insight into the dynamics of our own galactic home by studying this group of nearby galaxies. Hubble provides extremely detailed images of NGC 3137. This picture was made by looking at six different color bands. It shows a view of this beautiful spiral from different angles. A black hole that is 60 million times larger than the Sun is located in the center of the galaxy, surrounded by a network of fine, dusty clouds. From our perspective, NGC 3137 has a significant inclination, providing a novel perspective on its loose, feathery spiral structure. The image is completed by a few Milky Way stars that are photobombing it and a few background galaxies that are much further away. Even though each of these features is stunning, the galaxy's brilliant star clusters take center stage. The presence of young, hot stars that are still encased in their birth nebulae is indicated by the dense clusters of bright blue stars and glowing red gas clouds that dot the galaxy. It should come as no surprise that these clusters of stars are precisely what have caught Hubble's attention. Researchers are using Hubble to carry out an observing programme (#17502; PI: D. Thilker) concentrating on 55 nearby galaxy star clusters. These observations give an in-depth view of stellar life in spiral galaxies, from the young stars still in the process of forming to the ancient stellar populations that grew up in the early years of their galactic hosts.

 [Description of the Image: A spiral galaxy seen close up and tilted so that its disc fills the entire frame. Near the center, its disc is yellow, while further out, it is a pale blue, indicating cooler and hotter stars, respectively. The galaxy is made up of thin brown dust clouds, glowing pink spots where stars are forming, and sparkling blue patches with star clusters. Galaxies far away are represented by small orange dots behind it.]