Hubble telescope views an entrancing galaxy about 58 million light-years away

To wrap up Galaxy Week, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has shared this breathtaking image of a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Eridanus. NGC 685 lies about 58 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus and is at certain times visible from the southern hemisphere.

NGC 685 is about 60,000 light-years across - a little more than half the size of our Milky Way galaxy. In this Hubble image, the patches of bright blue along the galaxy's arms are star clusters, groups of stars held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. Wisps of dark red near the central bar depict interstellar gas and dust, the matter from which stars form.

Hubble captured this image as part of a scientific effort to study star cluster formation and evolution, thanks to its ultraviolet capabilities.

During Hubble Galaxy Week, which kicked off on October 2, the mission team shared brand-new images of galaxies captured by the premium observatory.

To wrap up our galaxy week, NGC 685 takes center stage in this new Hubble image!NGC 685 is a spiral galaxy about 58 million light-years away. The whole galaxy is about 60,000 light-years across – a little more than half the size of our Milky Way: https://t.co/LsVmIRtZYF pic.twitter.com/OviT5zs3xa

— Hubble (@NASAHubble) October 7, 2023

Hubble is one of the most iconic and powerful astronomical observatories ever launched into space. The telescope's position above the Earth's atmosphere (326 miles above) allows it to avoid atmospheric distortions, providing exceptionally clear and detailed images of the universe.

With more than 33 years in orbit and 1.5 million observations, the telescope has revolutionized our fundamental understanding of the universe with groundbreaking discoveries.