Hubble gives us new wonders of the universe in these precious snapshots

It’s spelled NGC 7814 or Caldwell 43, but it’s even more cool to read as Little Sombrero. This is the title of the new Marvel that has been given to us by precious shots of Hubble, a space telescope launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, and currently in operation, one of the largest and most diverse astronomy in the history of science.

. space telescope NASA It has allowed astronomers, and by extension all of us, to observe galaxies of all shapes and sizes, from just about any angle.

When a galaxy is viewed from the edge, the mesmerizing perspective reveals a dazzling slice of the universe. “Little Sombrero,” also known as NGC 7814 or Caldwell 43, is one of these galaxies.

A set of visual and infrared observations, captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys

Set against a speckled background of more distant galaxies, Little Sombrero features a bright central bulge, a thin, dust-filled disk, and a halo of gas and stars extending into space. It is about 40 million light years from Earth, 80,000 light years and billions of years away. The dusty spiral is named after the coolest sombrero galaxy, which looks like a wide-brimmed Mexican hat. Also seen from its edge, the Sombrero Galaxy is only 28 million light-years away and appears larger than Little Sombrero. It’s actually about the same size, but Sombrero looks bigger because it’s closer.

Little Sombrero’s photo is a combination of visual and infrared observations taken by Advanced Camera for Surveys by Hubble in 2006. The observations were made to help astronomers study star clusters in the galaxy and to help shed light on the evolution of this galaxy.

This is a very familiar nickname Little Sombrero This is due to the similarity with another galaxy of a more luxurious appearance, called specifically, the sombrero, because it resembles the shape of a Mexican hat, with a wide brim. The two galaxies are only outwardly similar in size, and Sombrero appears larger because it is closer: it is “only” 28 million light-years from Earth, compared to 40 million light-years from Little Sombrero.

Hubble is the only telescope designed to be modified into orbit by astronauts. The telescope will be active throughout 2022, although according to astronomers’ estimates, it could serve another two decades, 2030-2040. his successor James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day last year. But Hubble is doing better than ever, and it continues to make a wonderful eye candy.