This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows IC 2051, a galaxy in the southern constellation of Mensa (the Table Mountain) lying about 85 million light-years away. It is a spiral galaxy, as evidenced by its characteristic whirling, pinwheeling arms, and it has a bar of stars slicing through its center.
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IC 2051 [Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Erwin et al.] |
These bulges are thought to play a key role in how galaxies evolve, and to influence the growth of the supermassive black holes lurking at the centers of most spirals. While more observations are needed in this area, studies suggest that some, or even most, galactic bulges may be complex composite structures rather than simple ones, with a mix of spherical, disk-like, or boxy components, potentially leading to a wide array of bulge morphologies in the universe.
This image comprises data from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 at visible and infrared wavelengths.
Source: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center [December 20, 2019]
* This article was originally published here
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