Hubble Seeks Clusters in the ‘Lost Galaxy’ NGC 4535
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4535, located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, also known as the Maiden. This galaxy is often called the ‘Lost Galaxy’ because it appears extremely faint when viewed through a small telescope. Thanks to Hubble’s nearly eight-foot-wide (2.4 meters) mirror and its position above Earth’s atmosphere, it can observe faint galaxies like NGC 4535 with remarkable clarity. This allows Hubble to reveal detailed features such as the galaxy’s massive spiral arms and its central bar of stars.
In this image, Hubble seeks clusters in NGC 4535 by focusing on the young star clusters scattered throughout the galaxy’s spiral arms. These clusters shine bright blue and are often surrounded by glowing pink clouds. These clouds are known as H II regions, which indicate the presence of very young, hot, and massive stars emitting intense high-energy radiation. These massive stars influence their surroundings by heating the clouds where they were born through powerful stellar winds. Eventually, many of these stars end their lives in spectacular supernova explosions.
Exploring Star Formation in NGC 4535
The image is part of a larger observing program aimed at cataloging around 50,000 H II regions in nearby star-forming galaxies like NGC 4535. This program helps astronomers study the processes involved in star formation and the interaction between young stars and their environments. Hubble had previously released an image of NGC 4535 in 2021. Both the earlier and the current images include data from the PHANGS observing program, which is dedicated to understanding the relationship between young stars and cold gas in galaxies.
By capturing the brilliant red glow of nebulae surrounding massive stars in their first few million years, this latest image adds a new layer of insight into the life cycle of stars within NGC 4535. The glowing nebulae highlight the energetic early stages of star development and the impact these stars have on their galactic neighborhoods.
Hubble Seeks Clusters in Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies
Hubble seeks clusters in galaxies like NGC 4535 to deepen our understanding of how stars form and evolve in different environments. The detailed observations of young star clusters and their surrounding H II regions provide valuable information about the birth and early life of massive stars. These stars play a crucial role in shaping their galaxies by injecting energy into the interstellar medium and triggering further star formation.
The PHANGS-HST team, including F. Belfiore and J. Lee, has contributed to this effort by combining Hubble’s high-resolution imaging with data from other observatories. This collaborative approach allows scientists to study the complex interplay between stars and gas in galaxies with unprecedented detail. The ongoing observations of NGC 4535 and similar galaxies continue to reveal the dynamic processes that govern star formation and galactic evolution.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team
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Source: original article.