Stephan's Quintet
This portrait of Stephan's Quintet, also known as Hickson Compact Group 92, was taken by NASA's Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Stephan's Quintet, as the name implies, is a group of five galaxies. However, studies have shown that group member NGC 7320, at upper left, is actually a foreground galaxy about 40 million light-years from Earth. The other members of the quintet reside 290 million light-years away.
Three of the galaxies have distorted shapes, elongated spiral arms, and long, gaseous tidal tails containing myriad star clusters, proof of their close encounters. These interactions have sparked a frenzy of star birth in the central pair of galaxies. This drama is being played out against a rich backdrop of faraway galaxies.
The galaxy group Stephan's Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus.
For more information, visit:
hubblesite.org/image/2575/news_release/2009-25
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team
Stephan's Quintet
This portrait of Stephan's Quintet, also known as Hickson Compact Group 92, was taken by NASA's Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Stephan's Quintet, as the name implies, is a group of five galaxies. However, studies have shown that group member NGC 7320, at upper left, is actually a foreground galaxy about 40 million light-years from Earth. The other members of the quintet reside 290 million light-years away.
Three of the galaxies have distorted shapes, elongated spiral arms, and long, gaseous tidal tails containing myriad star clusters, proof of their close encounters. These interactions have sparked a frenzy of star birth in the central pair of galaxies. This drama is being played out against a rich backdrop of faraway galaxies.
The galaxy group Stephan's Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus.
For more information, visit:
hubblesite.org/image/2575/news_release/2009-25
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team