This new view of the spiral galaxy IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, was released by NASA on May 11, 2022. Here is an enlarged view. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, P. Sell (University of Florida) and P. Kaaret (University of Iowa); Image processing: G. Kober (NASA Goddard / Catholic University of America))
Take a look at the “Hidden Galaxy” in the view.
This glorious image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5. No matter what you call this galaxy, scientists have had some difficulty observing it because of obstacles along the way. his nickname “hidden,” he explains. NASA.
“It appears near the equator of the Milky Way’s pearly disk, which is full of thick cosmic gas, dark dust, and bright stars that obscure our vision,” NASA wrote in a May 11 statement. opens a new tab).
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Full view of the Hubble Space Telescope of the spiral galaxy IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5. The galaxy is 11 million light-years away and 50,000 light-years in diameter. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, P. Sell (University of Florida) and P. Kaaret (University of Iowa); Image processing: G. Kober (NASA Goddard / Catholic University of America))
Hubble can look through the rubble, to some extent, because the telescope has infrared capabilities. Infrared light is less scattered by dust and allows a clearer view of the galaxy behind interstellar matter.
“This bright, face-to-face view of the center of the galaxy shows specks of dust intertwined in spectacular arms surrounding a bright core of hot gas and stars,” NASA wrote in the image.
“This nucleus is a specific type of region called the H II nucleus, an area of atomic hydrogen that has been ionized. These regions are energetic birthplaces of stars where thousands of stars can form over a couple of million years. ‘years”.
Blue stars ionize or energize the hydrogen surrounding their birthplaces due to the emission of ultraviolet light, NASA said. The galaxy would be one of the brightest galaxies in our sky if there were not so much dust along the way.
IC 342 is also relatively close in galactic terms, just 11 million light-years from Earth. It is about half the diameter of our own Milky Way (50,000 light-years in diameter), which also makes it relatively large.
Hubble has been in space for a generation and has photographed this galaxy several times before. You can also view IC 342 images in 2017 (opens in a new tab) and 2010 (opens in a new tab).
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