Lenticular galaxies, such as NGC 3489, display qualities of both spiral and elliptical galaxies, with a main bulge of densely clustered stars and a thin disk of stars, gas, and dust, however without the distinct arms of a spiral galaxy. Lenticular galaxies arent quite spiral galaxies or elliptical galaxies. Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge of firmly packed stars and a thin, circular disk of stars, gas, and dust, like spiral galaxies, but they do not have arms.
The Hubble Space Telescope has actually taken a picture of NGC 3489, a lenticular galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the Leo constellation. Lenticular galaxies, such as NGC 3489, display attributes of both spiral and elliptical galaxies, with a central bulge of densely clustered stars and a thin disk of stars, gas, and dust, however without the distinct arms of a spiral nebula. Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Erwin (Max-Planck-Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik), L. Ho (Peking University), and S. Kaviraj (University of Hertfordshire); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America).
NASAs Hubble Telescope has actually captured an image of the lenticular galaxy NGC 3489, 30 million light-years away. This galaxy, showing qualities of both spiral and elliptical galaxies, homes a Seyfert type active galactic nucleus, enabling its surrounding galaxy to remain noticeable in spite of the great voids radiation emissions.
Lenticular galaxies arent quite spiral galaxies or elliptical galaxies. Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge of securely loaded stars and a thin, circular disk of stars, gas, and dust, like spiral galaxies, but they do not have arms.
NGC 3489 has an active galactic nucleus, or AGN. The AGN sits at the center of the galaxy, is very brilliant, and produces radiation across the whole electro-magnetic spectrum as the black hole feasts on material that gets too near to it.
This lenticular galaxy is a Seyfert galaxy, which is a class of AGN that is dimmer than other kinds of AGNs. They usually dont beat the rest of the galaxy, so the galaxy surrounding the great void is plainly visible. Other kinds of AGNs give off a lot radiation that it is practically difficult to observe the host galaxy.
NGC 3489 has to do with 30 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.