01-05-2025
Hubble Telescope clicks a cosmic squid glittering in darkness
The Hubble Space Telescope, which recently completed 35 years in the vaccum of space, has sent a mesmerising new image of Messier 77, a spiral galaxy also known as the 'Squid Galaxy,' glittering against the darkness 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus, or 'The Whale'.The aquatic-themed portrait highlights the galaxy's swirling arms and bright core, which, thanks to Hubble's advanced imaging, now appear more intricate and vibrant than ever 77's story begins in 1780, when French astronomer Pierre Mechain first spotted the object and, alongside Charles Messier, catalogued it as a potential comet.
Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy Messier 77, also known as the Squid Galaxy. (Photo: Hubble)
Early astronomers, limited by the telescopes of their era, mistook the galaxy for a nebula or even a star cluster-a misconception that persisted for over a century until the true nature of spiral nebulae as distant galaxies was galaxy's recent nickname, the 'Squid Galaxy,' stems from its extended, filamentary structures that curl around its disk, resembling the tentacles of a squid. These tentacle-like features are actually spiral arms laced with dust lanes and star-forming regions, their pink and red hues glowing in Hubble's composite galaxy's intensely bright center, home to a supermassive black hole, further accentuates its aquatic latest image builds on Hubble's 2013 observations, incorporating new filters and updated processing techniques to reveal unprecedented details.
It sits 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). (Photo: Nasa)
Astronomers can now study the galaxy's dynamic core, energetic star nurseries, and the interplay between dust, gas, and gravity with greater 77's transformation from a misunderstood nebula to a cosmic icon shows how advances in technology continually reshape our understanding of the universe. With each new image, Hubble not only deepens scientific insight but also inspires awe, reminding us of the beauty and mystery that still glitters in the darkness.
