Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a beautiful new image of the lenticular galaxy NGC 5283.
This Hubble image shows NGC 5283, a lenticular galaxy some 168 million light-years away in the constellation of Centaurus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / A. Barth, University of California, Irvine / M. Revalski, STScI / Gladys Kober, NASA & Catholic University of America.
NGC 5283 is located approximately 168 million light-years away in the constellation of Centaurus.
Also known as LEDA 48425, Mrk 270 or UGC 8672, this galaxy was first discovered on October 7, 1866, by the German astronomer Heinrich Louis d’Arrest.
“NGC 5283 contains an active galactic nucleus (AGN),” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“An AGN is an extremely bright region at the heart of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole exists.”
“When dust and gas fall into the black hole, the matter heats up and emits light across the electromagnetic spectrum.”
NGC 5283 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a galaxy that has an extremely bright central region that often obscure the much dimmer stars in the surrounding disk.
“About 10% of all galaxies are Seyfert galaxies,” the astronomers said.
“They differ from other galaxies that contain AGNs because the galaxy itself is clearly visible.”
“Other AGNs emit so much radiation that they outshine or make it impossible to observe the structure of their host galaxy.”
“Hubble observed this galaxy as part of a survey for a dataset about nearby AGNs,” the researchers added.
“It will serve as a resource for astronomers investigating AGN physics, black holes, host galaxy structure, and more.”