Many of us will have very important and exciting stories to tell to our grandchildren regarding the exploration of space. The Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered many wonders of the Universe during over three decades of activity.
If the term ‘NGC 1097’ doesn’t say anything for you., it’s okay. You must keep in mind that it’s about something very real from our Cosmos. It’s so real that it will make you remain speechless.
“Galactic eye” watches us from 48 million light-years away
The Hubble telescope that’s operated by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) has found a staggering ‘galactic eye’ that seems to be ‘looking’ throughout the Universe from very far away: 48 million light-years away. Many other galaxies could be put throughout this huge distance, considering that Andromeda, the closest galaxy to ours, is located just 2.5 million light-years away from Earth. We’re talking about a barred spiral galaxy, to be more precise. Here you have it:
This finely detailed Picture of the Week shows the heart of NGC 1097, a barred spiral galaxy that lies about 48 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Fornax.
Credit: @ESA / @Hubble_Space / @NASA , D. Sand, K. Sheth pic.twitter.com/CxXqB1IYYB
— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) March 14, 2022
The ESA offered an explanation for what’s going on in the NGC 1097 galaxy:
This picture reveals the intricacy of the web of stars and dust at NGC 1097’s centre, with the long tendrils of dust picked out in a dark red hue. The extent to which the galaxy’s structure is revealed is thanks to two instruments on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope: the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched by NASA on Christmas 2021, and it’s considered the successor of Hubble. Webb is the most powerful space telescope ever built, and it’s expected to see deeper and into more detail across the Universe than ever. Crucial information about the very first stars that illuminated the Cosmos is awaited from James Webb, and we’re excited to hear about the latest news on the subject!