The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Hubble Space Telescope shared an image of a distant galaxy moving away from the Earth 60 million light-years away on Monday, July 6. Located in the Sculptor constellation just above the Southern Hemisphere, the galaxy was identified as NGC 7513.
Somewhat similar to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, the galaxy possesses a feathered-spiral and barrel-shaped structure featuring a central arrangement of stars. The bar-like structure can affect the movement of the gas and stars within the galaxy.
According to the Hubble site, the galaxy seemed to be fleeing from the Milky Way at almost 3.5 million miles per hour. Meanwhile, the Earth orbits the sun at 67,108 mph.
Experts say that this behavior observed, such as the galaxy moving away from our galaxy, isn't surprising at all. They have observed this with many galaxies in the past and claim that it is due to our universe continuously expanding. As our cosmos expands, the space between the galaxies also stretches.
Read Also : NASA Hubble Space Telescope Captures New Images of the 'Pillars of Creation' Surrounded by New Born Stars
The Hubble Space Telescope's Many Discoveries
This phenomenon is just one of the many discoveries of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope was named after Edwin Hubble, the pioneering astronomer who led to the revelation that our galaxy was but among many.
Furthermore, he changed the perspective of many people about the world and their place in the universe. He continued his work as he discovered that many distant galaxies appeared to be moving rapidly. His discovery suggested that we live in a continually expanding universe, which originated from the big bang.
Since the launch of the esteemed telescope, it has discovered many wonders occurring in the galaxy. On November 19, 1992, the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a material fueling black hole.
Back then, black holes were merely abstract concepts. Knowledge about them was limited, and astronomers only knew that it caused gravitational pulls so strong that even light could not escape it. Now, astronomers have proven this theory with the help of the Hubble telescope.
Intergalactic Clashes
Experts say that galaxies are more competitive with each other than neighborly. In the past, large galaxies such as Andromeda and the Milky way have displayed insatiable appetites in terms of expanding.
Andromeda, being surrounded by numerous smaller galaxies, was thought to have consumed hundreds of them over the last few billion years. Moreover, the Milky Way is also facing a collision threat.
According to a study published in 2019 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Large Magellanic Cloud will catastrophically collide with the Milky Way in 2 billion years.
Smaller satellite galaxies surround our galaxy, and at times, things can take a violent turn. At times, satellite galaxies can migrate toward the Milky Way until they slam into each other and are gobbled up.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured unexpected and surprising phenomena in the galaxy for about 30 years. It has contributed numerous discoveries that have shaped how we explore the galactic skies.
It has changed the way we understand and look at the entire universe. Moreover, astronomers hope that this will go on in the years to come.
