An image of Hubble space telescope in orbit (Image source: NASA; cropped)
The latest Hubble Picture of the Week is an image of a star-studded spiral galaxy — NGC 4571. From hot massive blue stars to glowing pink nebulae, the image presents interesting features of this galaxy that could help scientists understand the process of star formation better.
NGC 4571 is a spiral galaxy located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Berenices. This Hubble image shows the galaxy’s spiral arms with the numerous star clusters around it. The stars that make up the cluster are hot, young, and massive stars that appear blue in this image.
The image also shows pink-glowing regions. These are regions of star formation. Young hot stars emit large amounts of ultraviolet radiation, which ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas. This results in the emission of H-alpha light. The H-alpha light is what gives star-forming regions their characteristic pinkish color.
Observations like this highlight how impressive the process of star formation is. It is even more interesting when you consider that the hot stars seen in this image were formed from gas at freezing temperatures.
Before stars form, gas clouds at freezing temperatures are pulled by gravity. This pull causes the gas to collapse inward. As the gas collapses, it gradually heats up in the center and eventually begins to shine.
A previous image of NGC 4571 was released in 2022. That image was derived from a large program of observations. This new image adds more data.
It includes data from a program aimed at understanding how dust affects our observations of young stars still buried inside their birth clouds. Astronomers continue to use Hubble images like this to unwrap the mystery of star formation.
Hubble image of NGC 4571 (Image source: ESA/Hubble, NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee, and the PHANGS-HST Team)
Chibuike Okpara – Tech Writer – 263 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, “Why not get into writing tech articles?” It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a ‘bookworm’ of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.