December 23, 2024

Galactic Seascape: Hubble Captures Jellyfish Galaxy With Trailing Tentacles of Stars

Hubble Space Telescope image of a jellyfish galaxy. (Image focused to show detail. See the larger view below.) Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, M. Gullieuszik
A jellyfish galaxy with routing arms of stars hangs in dark blackness in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. As Jellyfish galaxies move through intergalactic space they are gradually stripped of gas, which routes behind the galaxy in tendrils brightened by clumps of star development. These blue tendrils show up drifting below the core of this galaxy, and provide it its jellyfish-like look. This specific jellyfish galaxy– referred to as JO201– lies in the constellation Cetus, which is named after a sea beast from ancient Greek mythology. This sea-monster-themed constellation includes to the nautical style of this image.
Hubble Space Telescope picture of a jellyfish galaxy. Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, M. Gullieuszik
The tendrils of jellyfish galaxies extend beyond the bright disc of the galaxy core. This particular observation comes from an examination into the sizes, masses, and ages of the clumps of star formation in the tendrils of jellyfish galaxies. Astronomers hope that this will offer a breakthrough in understanding the connection between ram-pressure removing– the procedure that develops the tendrils of jellyfish galaxies– and star formation.
This galactic seascape was caught by Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), a flexible instrument that catches images at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. WFC3 is the source of some of Hubbles a lot of incredible images, from a view of Jupiter and Europa to a review to the Pillars of Creation.

By ESA/Hubble
February 27, 2023

Jellyfish galaxies are a kind of galaxy that show long “arms” or “tails” of gas, dust, and stars that appear to be streaming away from the galaxys primary body, providing them a jellyfish-like look. These arms are formed as the galaxy moves rapidly through the hot gas of a galaxy cluster, causing the gas to strip away from the galaxy and form a tail. This procedure is called ram-pressure removing, and it can have a substantial influence on the evolution of the galaxy.

As Jellyfish galaxies move through intergalactic area they are gradually removed of gas, which trails behind the galaxy in tendrils illuminated by clumps of star formation. The tendrils of jellyfish galaxies extend beyond the brilliant disc of the galaxy core. Jellyfish galaxies are a type of galaxy that display long “arms” or “tails” of gas, dust, and stars that appear to be streaming away from the galaxys primary body, giving them a jellyfish-like appearance. These arms are formed as the galaxy moves rapidly through the hot gas of a galaxy cluster, causing the gas to strip away from the galaxy and form a tail.