NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has released a stunning image of the 'Lost Galaxy' NGC 4535. Located approximately 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, this spiral galaxy is faintly visible through small telescopes, earning it its nickname. The Hubble telescope's large mirror allows it to observe dim galaxies like NGC 4535 and capture intricate features such as massive spiral arms and a central bar of stars.
The recent image showcases the galaxy's young star clusters, which are embedded within the spiral arms. These bright blue star groupings are surrounded by glowing pink clouds, known as H II regions. The formation of these star clusters is an indicator of a galaxy's high rate of star birth and death.
A team led by Claire Andreoli at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center conducted observations using the PHANGS observing program to study the connections between young stars and cold gas in galaxies like NGC 4535. The new image captures the brilliant red glow of nebulae surrounding massive, newly-formed stars.
The image is part of an ongoing effort by Hubble to catalog nearly 50,000 H II regions across nearby star-forming galaxies. The study aims to deepen our understanding of galaxy development and the life cycles of young, hot stars in these galaxies.
The recent image showcases the galaxy's young star clusters, which are embedded within the spiral arms. These bright blue star groupings are surrounded by glowing pink clouds, known as H II regions. The formation of these star clusters is an indicator of a galaxy's high rate of star birth and death.
A team led by Claire Andreoli at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center conducted observations using the PHANGS observing program to study the connections between young stars and cold gas in galaxies like NGC 4535. The new image captures the brilliant red glow of nebulae surrounding massive, newly-formed stars.
The image is part of an ongoing effort by Hubble to catalog nearly 50,000 H II regions across nearby star-forming galaxies. The study aims to deepen our understanding of galaxy development and the life cycles of young, hot stars in these galaxies.