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Astronomers using NASA / ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope have captured a stunning new photo of a spiral galaxy called UGC 12588.
This Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy UGC 12588. The color image was obtained from separate exposures taken in the visible region of the spectrum with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Two filters were used to sample various wavelengths. Color results from assigning different shades to each monochrome image associated with a single filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Tully / Gagandeep Anand.
UGC 12588 is located approximately 31 million light years away in the constellation of Andromeda.
Otherwise known as IRAS 23223 + 4104 or LEDA 71368, it belongs to the Local Group, a huge gathering of over 50 galaxies, including the Milky Way and Andromeda.
“Unlike many spiral galaxies, UGC 12588 shows neither a star bar in the center nor the classic prominent spiral arm pattern,” astronomer Hubble said.
“Instead, to a viewer, its circular, white, and mostly unstructured center makes this galaxy more like a cinnamon bun than a megastructure of stars and gas in space.”
“Located in the constellation of Andromeda in the Northern Hemisphere, UGC 12588 is classified as a spiral galaxy,” they added.
“Unlike the classic image of a spiral galaxy, however, the huge arms of stars and gases in UGC 12588 are very faint, indistinct and tightly wrapped around its center.”
“The clearest view of the spiral arms comes from the bluer stars scattered around the edges of the galaxy highlighting the regions where new star formation is most likely to occur.”
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