Hubble time! đ
Explore the fascinating spiral galaxy NGC 5668! Located 90 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, this cosmic neighbour might not seem extraordinary at firstâitâs about the same size as our own Milky Way, stretching 90 000 light-years across. But thereâs something very special happening here!
NGC 5668 is a star factoryâproducing new stars 60% faster than the Milky Way. The galaxyâs open spiral arms are brimming with turbulent clouds of gas, creating the perfect conditions for star formation. This cosmic activity is driven by two key factors:
1. A central bar (which looks more like a slight oval) is accelerating the formation of new starsâjust as seen in many other spiral galaxies.
2. High-velocity clouds of hydrogen gas are zooming between the galaxyâs disc and its faint halo, feeding gas to regions where stars are born.
But with this stellar boom comes cosmic dramaâsupernovae! NGC 5668 has witnessed at least three explosive deaths of stars, with supe...