Latest news with #Arp184
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the week: Bizarre 1-armed spiral galaxy stuns Hubble scientists
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What it is: Arp 184 (NGC 1961) Where it is: 190 million light-years distant in the constellation Camelopardalis, the giraffe. When it was shared: April 29, 2025 Why it's so special: What if a galaxy had only one spiral arm? Our solar system resides on the outskirts of one of the Milky Way galaxy's estimated four spiral arms, according to but not all galaxies are like that. In the latest image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a strange galaxy called NGC 1961 comes into focus that has just one — a single broad, star-speckled spiral arm that appears to stretch toward us as the galaxy is viewed from a skewed angle. It may seem a dramatic point of view, but it's merely what Hubble sees from its line of sight on its orbital path around Earth. On the far side of the newly imaged galaxy, beyond swirls of stars and dust around a bright center, there is no similarly impressive spiral arm, with just a few wisps of gas and stars instead. The image is also available as a panoramic video, a zoomable version, and as a 15-megapixel download. Its sole spiral arm long ago earned NGC 1961 the additional name Arp 184 and a place in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a catalog of galaxies that are neither perfectly symmetrical spiral galaxies nor smooth, spherical elliptical galaxies. First published in 1966 by American astronomer Halton Arp, the atlas collects 338 galaxies that are oddly shaped, many because they're interacting with other galaxies. Others in the atlas are dwarf galaxies in flux. Related: James Webb telescope's observations of 'impossible' galaxies at the dawn of time may finally have an explanation There's another reason why Hubble targeted Arp 184/NGC 1961. It's hosted four known supernovas — the powerful explosion of a dying star — in the past four decades (in 1998, 2001, 2013 and 2021). It's exceptionally rare to catch a supernova in the act, so galaxies with a proven track record like this one make prime targets. MORE SPACE PHOTOS —Record-breaking James Webb telescope image captures 1,678 galaxy groups at once —Iconic 'Eagle Nebula' gets a major glow-up on Hubble's 35th anniversary —James Webb telescope reveals hidden past of the 'Crystal Ball Nebula' Arp 184/NGC 1961 was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel in 1788, seven years after he discovered the planet Uranus, the first planet to be found in modern times. According to observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the Milky Way has two main spiral arms — the Perseus and Scutum-Centaurus arms — and two less obvious arms, the Sagittarius and Norma arms. Two minor spiral arms are close to the galaxy's center, the Far-3 kiloparsec arm and the Near-3 kiloparsec arm. Our solar system exists in the Orion Spur between the Sagittarius and Perseus arms. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the day for May 5, 2025
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. "Peculiar" spiral galaxy Arp 184 or NGC 1961 as captured by NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope. | Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick Arp 184 or NGC 1961, a skewed or "peculiar" spiral galaxy, is still stunning in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. What is it? One of the 338 formations cataloged by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966 in his "Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies," Arp 184 or NGC 1961 is a skewed, but still spectacular looking, spiral galaxy as imaged by NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope. Arp 184 was included in the catalog due to its single broad, star-speckled spiral arm that appears to stretch toward Earth. The galaxy's far side (as relative to us) has only a few wisps of gas and stars, rather than a similarly spectacular spiral arm. Where is it? Arp 184 sits about 190 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). Full frame of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 184 or NGC 1961, a peculiar spiral galaxy. | Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick Why is it amazing? This Hubble image is the product of three Snapshot observing programs, which are brief observations slotted into time gaps between the orbiting observatory's longer studies. One of the three programs surveyed galaxies listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, as well as A Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations, a similar catalog compiled by Halton Arp and Barry Madore. The remaining two Snapshot programs looked at the aftermath of fleeting astronomical events like the four known supernovae that Arp 184 has hosted in the past three decades. Want to know more? You can see another Hubble image of NGC 1961 and view another peculiar galaxy in the Arp catalog. You can also read how the Hubble Space Telescope's capabilities compare today to newer observatories.
