This Hubble Space Telescope features NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo, 49 million light-years from Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, M. Zamani spiral galaxy, this image reflects the ongoing cycle of star formation. In this cycle, galactic gas coalesces into molecular clouds, which then collapse to form new stars. These new stars emit powerful radiation or stellar winds, dispersing the clouds in a process called feedback.
This cycle of moving matter and energy determines how fast a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it burns through its supplies of gas — that is, how it evolves over the course of its life. Understanding this evolution depends on the nebulae, stars, and star clusters in the galaxy: when they formed and their past behavior. Hubble hasat measuring populations of stars, and the task of tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception.
NGC 4951 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a very bright and energetic nucleus called an. This image demonstrates well how energetic the galaxy is, and some of the dynamic galactic activity that transports matter and energy throughout it: a shining core surrounded by swirling arms, glowing pink star-forming regions, and thick dust.SciTechDaily: Home of the best science and technology news since 1998. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media.