Stealing the Show
As beautiful as the surrounding space may be, the sparkling galaxy in the foreground of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope undeniably steals the show.
This spotlight-hogging galaxy, seen set against a backdrop of more distant galaxies of all shapes and sizes, is known as PGC 29388. Although it dominates in this image, this galaxy is a small player on the cosmic stage, and is known as a dwarf elliptical galaxy. As the “dwarf” moniker suggests, the galaxy is on the smaller side, and boasts a “mere” 100 million to a few billion stars — a very small number indeed when compared to the Milky Way's population of around 250 to 400 billion stellar residents.
Credit:ESA/Hubble & NASA, T. Armandroff
About the Image
Id: | potw2016a |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 20 April 2020, 09:00 |
Size: | 3948 x 1960 px |
About the Object
Name: | PGC 29388 |
Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Elliptical Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf |
Constellation: | Ursa Major |
Category: | Galaxies |
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 10 7 3.18 |
Position (Dec): | 67° 49' 45.76" |
Field of view: | 3.29 x 1.63 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 81.1° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical V | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |