Hubble image of PGC 6240
The beautiful, petal-like shells of galaxy PGC 6240 are captured here in intricate detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, set against a sky full of distant background galaxies. PGC 6240 is an elliptical galaxy approximately 350 000 000 light years away in the southern constellation of Hydrus (The Water Snake). It is orbited by a number of globular clusters that contain both young and old stars — thought to be a result of a galactic merger in the recent past.
Credit:ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt
About the Image
| Id: | heic1318a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 10 October 2013, 14:00 |
| Related releases: | heic1318 |
| Size: | 3448 x 3477 px |
About the Object
| Name: | PGC 6240 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Elliptical |
| Distance: | 350 million light years |
| Constellation: | Hydrus |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 1 41 31.38 |
| Position (Dec): | -65° 36' 57.47" |
| Field of view: | 2.87 x 2.90 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 16.5° left of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical B | 475 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |