# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DAhEpbwNjan
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35585051-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3791ec3a02.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-09-29T21:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Hubble time! 🌌

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 first—it’s about the same size as our own Milky Way, stretching 90 000 light-years across. But there’s something very special happening here!

NGC 5668 is a star factory—producing new stars 60% faster than the Milky Way. The galaxy’s 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 stars—just as seen in many other spiral galaxies.

2. High-velocity clouds of hydrogen gas are zooming between the galaxy’s disc and its faint halo, feeding gas to regions where stars are born.

But with this stellar boom comes cosmic drama—supernovae! NGC 5668 has witnessed at least three explosive deaths of stars, with supernovae recorded in 1952, 1954, and 2004. The Hubble Space Telescope captured this stunning image, focusing on the aftermath of the Type II supernova SN 2004G, allowing astronomers to study the types of stars that meet such a fiery end.

NGC 5668 offers a spectacular glimpse into a galaxy in full cosmic bloom—where stars are born and die in a dazzling display of galactic evolution!

📸 @europeanspaceagency / @hubbleesa & @NASA, C. Kilpatrick; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 28,555
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 43

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

---
Copyright (c) Gondola