NGC 5668, observed by Hubble, showcases rapid star formation and frequent supernovae, distinguishing it from our own galaxy.
This mesmerizing Hubble Space Telescope image features NGC 5668, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It is relatively near to us at 90 million light-years from Earth and quite accessible for astronomers to study with both space- and ground-based telescopes.
At first blush, it doesn’t seem like a remarkable galaxy. It is around 90,000 light-years across, similar in size and mass to our own Milky Way galaxy, and its orientation nearly face-on to us shows open spiral arms made of cloudy, irregular patches.
Star Formation in NGC 5668
One noticeable difference between the Milky Way galaxy and NGC 5668 is that this galaxy is forming new stars 60% more quickly. This fact belies a galaxy with churning clouds and flows of gas, inclement weather that forms excellent conditions for the formation of new stars! Two main drivers of star formation have been identified by astronomers.
Firstly, this high-quality Hubble snapshot reveals a bar at the center; it might look more like a slight oval shape than a real bar, but it appears to have impacted the galaxy’s star formation rate, as central bars do in many spiral galaxies.
Secondly, high-velocity clouds of hydrogen gas have been tracked moving vertically between the disc of the galaxy and the spherical, faint halo which surrounds it. These can be produced by the strong stellar winds of hot, massive stars, and they contribute gas to new star-forming regions.
Supernovae in NGC 5668
The enhanced star formation rate in NGC 5668 comes with a corresponding abundance of supernova explosions. Three have been spotted in the galaxy, in 1952, 1954, and 2004. In this image, Hubble was used to examine the surroundings of the Type II SN 2004G, seeking to study the kinds of stars that end their lives as this kind of supernova.
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1 Comment
Whose to say these exo-planets are still there?