NGC 3344 galaxy: A lonely beauty

Beauty, grace, mystery—this magnificent spiral galaxy has all the qualities of a perfect galactic Valentine. Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the galaxy NGC 3344 presents itself face-on, allowing astronomers a detailed look at its intricate and elegant structure. And Hubble's ability to observe objects over a wide range of different wavelengths reveals features that would otherwise remain invisible

Spiral galaxies are some of the most spectacular sights in the sky, but to an observer they do not all look the same. Some are seen edge-on, giving astronomers an excellent idea of the galaxy's vertical structure; others are seen at an angle, providing a hint of the size and structure of the spiral arms; while others are seen face-on, showcasing their arms and bright core in all their beauty.

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Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA

This image of the spiral galaxy NGC 3344, located about 20 million light-years from Earth, is a composite of images taken through seven different filters. They cover wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the optical and the near-infrared. Together they create a detailed picture of the galaxy and allow astronomers to study many different aspects of it.

Source / Image Courtesy

 

Our eyes detect only visible light, but on board Hubble are a variety of instruments that together detect many different wavelengths of light. This means that Hubble is able to observe galaxies over a wide range of wavelengths to reveal features that would otherwise remain invisible to our eyes.

This episode of the Hubblecast explores the meaning of the colours in the spiral galaxy NGC 3344.

 

About 20 million light-years away, in the Leo Minor constellation, lies galaxy NGC 3344 and it's beautiful spiral arms. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have delivered a deep look at the galaxy in multiple wavelengths.