Astronomers using the NASAESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a detailed image of a lenticular galaxy called NGC 3489.
“Lenticular galaxies aren’t quite spiral galaxies or elliptical galaxies,” Hubble astronomers said.
“They lie somewhere in between, exhibiting traits of both.”
“Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge of tightly packed stars and a thin, circular disk of stars, gas, and dust, like spiral galaxies, but they lack arms.”
“And like elliptical galaxies, lenticular galaxies have older stellar populations and little ongoing star formation.”
NGC 3489 lies approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo.
This lenticular galaxy was discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 8, 1784.
Otherwise known as LEDA 33160, UGC 6082 or SDSS J110018.53+135404.1, the galaxy is about 30,000 light-years across.
NGC 3489 is a member of the M96 group (also known as the Leo I group), a group of over 20 galaxies in the constellation of Leo.
“NGC 3489 has an active galactic nucleus (AGN),” the astronomers said.
“The AGN sits at the center of the galaxy, is extremely bright, and emits radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum as the black hole devours material that gets too close to it.”
“NGC 3489 is also a Seyfert galaxy, which is a class of AGN that is dimmer than other types of AGNs,” they added.
“They generally don’t outshine the rest of the galaxy, so the galaxy surrounding the black hole is clearly visible.”
“Other types of AGNs emit so much radiation that it is almost impossible to observe the host galaxy.”
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