NASA / ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a ghost-like lenticular galaxy, classified as NGC 6684, located approximately 44 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Pavo (Latin name for peacock). What makes this a lenticular galaxy? It has a large disk, but does not have the prominent spiral arms of galaxies such as Andromeda, the closest complete galaxy to us.
This means that lenticular galaxies are considered somewhere between elliptical and spiral galaxies, giving them a ghostly, hazy look. NGC 6684 also does not have the dark dust lands that you typically see spread throughout other galaxies, adding to its ominous appearance. In other words, these types of galaxies have a central bulge surrounded by a flattened desk with no pattern of spiral arms.
- BRIGHT, SHARP VIEWS ANYWHERE: Unlike many beginner telescopes, this quality refractor features fully coated glass lenses and a 70mm aperture for...
- PERFECT FIRST TELESCOPE FOR BEGINNERS: Designed for adults and kids to enjoy together, this beginner-friendly telescope sets up in minutes and...
- EASY NO-TOOL SETUP: No complicated assembly or tools needed. The full-height tripod and telescope tube set up in seconds and pack neatly into the...
The data in this image was captured during a census of the nearby universe entitled Every Known Nearby Galaxy, which aims to observe all galaxies within 10 megaparsecs (32.6 million light-years) that the telescope has not already visited. Before this program began, Hubble had observed roughly 75% of these nearby galaxies,” said NASA.
