The Hubble Space Telescope has done it again and snapped an awe-inspiring photo of yet another galaxy far, far away.
Specifically, the space telescope was able to capture the center of a barred spiral galaxy known as NGC 1097, which is located 48 million light-years away from our planet.
Hubble Space Telescope Photographs 'Eye' of NGC 1097
The Hubble Space Telescope has successfully photographed the "eye" of a barred spiral galaxy located 48 light-years away from Earth.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the galaxy, known as NGC 1097, is located in the constellation Fornax. The image was taken using the space telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys.
ESA says of the photo, "This picture reveals the intricacy of the web of stars and dust at NGC 1097's centre, with the long tendrils of dust picked out in a dark red hue."
Per a report by Space, the image that the Hubble was able to capture is said to depend on the telescope's ability to be able to see not just visual wavelengths of light, but infrared or heat-seeking wavelengths as well.
To put things into context, the human eye does not have this kind of ability.
What is a Spiral Galaxy?
According to a separate article by Space, space galaxies are described as "twisted collections of stars and gas that often have beautiful shapes and are made up of hot young stars."
It is one of the three types of galaxies in terms of shapes; the other two are elliptical and irregular. Per the Space article, spiral galaxies are more common than the other two types.
A popular example of a spiral galaxy is none other than our own, the Milky Way galaxy.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) notes that spiral galaxies have spiral arms and central so-called buldge, which is made up of a dense amount of stars.
The space agency also notes that there is a classification of spiral galaxies known as barred spiral galaxies. What differentiates it from regular spiral galaxies is the shape of the buldge, which is usually elongated.
Hubble Space Telescope's Other Photos of Spiral Galaxies
Whether it is the regular spiral galaxy or the barred spiral galaxy, spiral galaxies in general are a favorite subject of the Hubble to photograph.
An example of another spiral galaxy that the space telescope has photographed is the NGC 5728, an example of a Seyfert galaxy. It is located 130 million light-years away.
The Hubble has also taken a photo of the NGC 3717, which is located in the constellation Hydra. You can view the photo below:
