Pockets of star formation in DDO 68
The dwarf galaxy DDO 68, also known as UGC 5340, lies about 40 million light-years away from Earth. Due to its proximity it became one of the 50 targets of LEGUS.
In UGC 5340, a pocket of rapid star birth appears in the lower right corner. This region of star formation was probably triggered by a gravitational interaction with an unseen companion galaxy. But star formation is present across the entire body of UGC 5340, and the relatively young stars are responsible for the galaxy’s blue-white colour.
An image of this galaxy was already released back in 2014 (heic1421). This newly-processed image now also shows ultraviolet radiation Hubble captured from the galaxy.
Credit:NASA, ESA, and the LEGUS team
About the Image
| Id: | heic1810d |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 17 May 2018, 19:00 |
| Related releases: | heic1810 |
| Size: | 2696 x 1926 px |
About the Object
| Name: | DDO 68 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf |
| Distance: | 40 million light years |
| Constellation: | Leo |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 9 56 49.13 |
| Position (Dec): | 28° 49' 6.60" |
| Field of view: | 1.78 x 1.27 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 117.5° right of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Ultraviolet UV | 275 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Optical U | 336 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Optical B | 438 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
| Optical V | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |