M77
Initially identified as a nebula by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1780, M77 is one of the largest galaxies in the Messier catalog. It is located in the constellation Cetus at a distance of 45 million light-years from Earth. M77 has an apparent magnitude of 9.6 and can be seen using a small telescope. It is most easily observed during December.
Hubble has captured this vivid image of M77’s center using visible and infrared observations. The streaks of red and blue in the image highlight pockets of star formation along the pinwheeling arms, with dark dust lanes wrapping around the galaxy’s starry center.
M77 is a prime example of a Seyfert galaxy, or a galaxy with an intensely active center that is obscured by gas and dust in visible light.
For more information about Hubble’s observations of M77, see:
www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1305/
hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/1994/news-1994-07.html
Credit: NASA, ESA & A. van der Hoeven
M77
Initially identified as a nebula by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1780, M77 is one of the largest galaxies in the Messier catalog. It is located in the constellation Cetus at a distance of 45 million light-years from Earth. M77 has an apparent magnitude of 9.6 and can be seen using a small telescope. It is most easily observed during December.
Hubble has captured this vivid image of M77’s center using visible and infrared observations. The streaks of red and blue in the image highlight pockets of star formation along the pinwheeling arms, with dark dust lanes wrapping around the galaxy’s starry center.
M77 is a prime example of a Seyfert galaxy, or a galaxy with an intensely active center that is obscured by gas and dust in visible light.
For more information about Hubble’s observations of M77, see:
www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1305/
hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/1994/news-1994-07.html
Credit: NASA, ESA & A. van der Hoeven