Feeding Time
This remarkable spiral galaxy, known as NGC 4651, may look serene and peaceful as it swirls in the vast, silent emptiness of space, but don’t be fooled — it keeps a violent secret. It is believed that this galaxy consumed another smaller galaxy to become the large and beautiful spiral that we observe today.
Although only a telescope like the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which captured this image, could give us a picture this clear, NGC 4651 can also be observed with an amateur telescope — so if you have a telescope at home and a star-gazing eye, look out for this glittering carnivorous spiral.
Credit:ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Leonard
About the Image
Id: | potw2013a |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 30 March 2020, 06:00 |
Size: | 3480 x 1972 px |
About the Object
Name: | NGC 4651 |
Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral |
Constellation: | Coma Berenices |
Category: | Galaxies |
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 12 43 45.05 |
Position (Dec): | 16° 23' 47.72" |
Field of view: | 2.90 x 1.64 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 50.6° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |