NASA's Hubble snaps spiral galaxy that played host to supernova
A newly released image captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals a stunning spiral galaxy lost in the serenity of space. Dubbed UGC 12295, this galaxy lies in the constellation Pisces and has a brightly glowing center with distinctive spiral arms. The cosmic body played host to a "catastrophically violent explosion— a supernova—that was first detected in 2015," per the European Space Agency (ESA).
Why does this story matter?
Spiral galaxy UGC 12295 lies almost face-on when viewed from Earth. It is positioned at a suitable angle that allows its stunning features to be captured in great detail. The observatory that captured this cosmic wonder, Hubble is going strong for 33 years now. The telescope has made significant contributions to our understanding of the universe.
The bright blue spots are regions of star formation
First, let's take a closer look at the picture. Two luminous spiral arms are seen branching out from the central core of the galaxy. Although faint, smaller arms are seen trailing off from the larger ones. The bright blotches of blue are regions where stars are being formed. The last detail worth mentioning is that several small galaxies stud the background.
UGC 12295 played host to a supernova
Despite appearing so calm in the latest Hubble image, UGC 12295 played host to a supernova that was first detected in 2015. Supernova occurs when massive stars reach the end of their life and explode causing a brilliant burst of light. Such events are so bright that they can outshine the galaxy they are occurring in for a few days or months, per NASA.
Astronomers carried out two investigations based on the Hubble image
The latest Hubble image set off two independent studies. One explored the debris left behind by the supernova to get a better understanding of how these events would have contributed to the evolution of the universe. For that, researchers used Hubble's onboard Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), which can see in ultraviolet, infrared, and visible regions of light.
Second study focused on some of the best-studied nearby supernovae
The second investigation, like the first, made use of the same Hubble equipment to explore the aftermath of the supernova that occurred in UGC 12295. In addition, this study involved looking at some of the best-studied supernovae lying nearby. Hubble is equipped to capture details of such explosive supernova events which in turn provide insights into the nature of the galaxies they occur in.
