Hubble looks at sideways NGC 4710 (crop)
Still an astrophysical mystery, the evolution of the bulges in spiral galaxies led astronomers to the edge-on galaxy NGC 4710. When staring directly at the centre of the galaxy, one can detect a faint, ethereal "X"-shaped structure. Such a feature, which astronomers call a "boxy" or "peanut-shaped" bulge, is due to the vertical motions of the stars in the galaxy's bar and is only evident when the galaxy is seen edge-on. This curiously shaped puff is often observed in spiral galaxies with small bulges and open arms, but is less common in spirals with arms tightly wrapped around a more prominent bulge, such as NGC 4710.
Credit:
NASA & ESA
About the Image
| Id: | heic0914a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 18 November 2009, 12:00 |
| Related release: | heic0914 |
| Size: | 3381 x 1315 px |
About the Object
| Name: | NGC 4710 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral • Local Universe : Galaxy : Component : Bulge |
| Distance: | 60 million light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Optical B |
475 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
| Optical Pseudogreen (B+I) |
Hubble Space Telescope ACS | |
| Infrared I |
814 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
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