The torrent of superheated gas emanating from NGC 4666 is really huge in scale– extending for tens of thousands of light-years– it is undetectable in this image. The superwinds extremely heat makes it stand out as a luminous plume in x-ray or radio observations, but it doesnt appear at the noticeable wavelengths imaged by Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3.
By ESA/Hubble
October 10, 2021
Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, O. Graur, Acknowledgement: L. Shatz
Astronomers refer to galaxies which are forming stars anomalously quickly as starburst galaxies. NGC 4666s starburst is thought to be due to gravitational interactions with its unruly neighbors– including the close-by galaxy NGC 4668 and a dwarf galaxy.
NGC 4666s burst of star development is driving an unusual form of extreme galactic weather understood as a superwind– a gigantic transfer of gas from the brilliant main heart of the galaxy out into area. 2 such supernova surges have actually been seen in NGC 4666 within the last decade– one in 2014 and the other in 2019.
At peak, supernovae are frequently the brightest sources of light in their galaxies, shining so bright that they can be seen clear throughout the Universe. The 2014 supernova in NGC 4666 is still active in this image, however more than 900 days after it peaked, the supernova has actually faded from its former magnificence and looks like just one more star in this busy galaxy.