Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have produced an outstanding image of the intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 4654.
NGC 4654 lies around 55 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo.
Also known IC 3708 or LEDA 42857, this galaxy has a diameter of about 70,000 light-years.
NGC 3923 was first discovered by the German-British astronomer William Herschel on April 12, 1784.
“NGC 4654 is just north of the celestial equator, making it visible from the northern hemisphere and most of the southern hemisphere,” the Hubble astronomers said.
“The galaxy has a bright center and is labeled intermediate because it has characteristics of both unbarred and barred spirals.”
NGC 4654 is a member of the Virgo Cluster, a group of approximately 1,300 — and possibly up to 2,000 — galaxies.
“NGC 4654 is one of many Virgo Cluster galaxies that have an asymmetric distribution of stars and of neutral hydrogen gas,” the astronomers said.
“NGC 4654 may be experiencing a process called ram pressure stripping, where the gravitational pull of the Virgo Cluster puts pressure on NGC 4654 as it moves through a superheated plasma made largely of hydrogen called the intracluster medium.”
|This pressure feels like a gust of wind — think of a biker feeling wind even on a still day — that strips NGC 4654 of its gas.”
“This process produced a long, thin tail of hydrogen gas on the galaxy’s southeastern side.”
“Most galaxies that experienced ram pressure stripping hold very little cold gas, halting the galaxy’s ability to form new stars, since stars generate from dense gas,” they said.
“However, NGC 4654 has star formation rates consistent with other galaxies of its size.”
“NGC 4654 also had an interaction with the companion galaxy NGC 4639 about 500 million years ago.”
“The gravity of NGC 4639 stripped NGC 4654’s gas along its edge, limiting star formation in that region and causing the asymmetrical…
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