Hubble time! 🌌 Meet IC 3430, a tiny but mighty dwarf galaxy, located a whopping 45 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation. Like its larger cousins, this galaxy has a smooth, oval shape lacking any recognisable features like arms or bars, and it is bereft of gas to form very many new stars. Interestingly, IC 3430 does feature a core of hot, massive blue stars, an uncommon sight in elliptical galaxies that indicates recent star-forming activity. It’s believed that ram pressure from the galaxy ploughing through gas within the Virgo cluster has ignited what gas does remain in IC 3430’s core to form some new stars. Dwarf galaxies come in all shapes and sizes, from elliptical to spiral, proving that even the smallest celestial bodies can be incredibly complex and fascinating. 📸 @europeanspaceagency / @hubbleesa & @NASA, M. Sun; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0