This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the
glittering spiral galaxy NGC 3137, located 53 million light-years away in the
constellation Antlia (the Air Pump).
ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker and the PHANGS-HST
Team
In this new picture from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope,
a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC
3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the
constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this
target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of
stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic
system similar to our own.
NGC 3137 is of particular interest to
astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is
thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains our
Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large
spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and
Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies,
both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not
yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers
have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby
galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic
home.
NGC 3137 is revealed in fantastic detail
by Hubble. This image is crafted from observations in six different color
bands, creating a view that highlights several facets of this beautiful spiral.
The galaxy’s center, which is encircled by a network of fine, dusty clouds,
hosts a black hole estimated to be 60 million times more massive than the Sun.
NGC 3137 is highly inclined from our point of view, giving a unique perspective
on its loose, feathery spiral structure. A couple of photobombing Milky Way stars
and a smattering of far more distant background galaxies complete the image.
As stunning as each of these features
may be, it’s the galaxy’s brilliant star clusters that steal the show. The
galaxy is peppered with dense clusters of bright blue stars and glowing red gas
clouds, which signal the presence of hot, young stars still encased in their
birth nebulae.
Unsurprisingly, these star clusters are
exactly what has drawn Hubble’s keen eye. Researchers are using Hubble to carry
out an observing program (#17502;
PI: D. Thilker) focusing on star clusters in 55 nearby galaxies. The data
collected will help astronomers identify star clusters and the glowing nebulae
that surround them, providing a way to measure the ages of stars in galaxies
like NGC 3137. These observations give an in-depth view of stellar life in
spiral galaxies, from the young stars still in the process of forming to the
ancient stellar populations that grew up in the early years of their galactic
hosts.
The PHANGS (Physics at High Angular
Resolution in Nearby Galaxies)-HST program for which these observations were
taken is part of a larger effort by some of the most powerful observatories on
(and around) Earth. Hubble contributes greatly to this massive undertaking,
which combines Hubble data with observations from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter
Array (ALMA). Together, Hubble’s
powerful optical and ultraviolet capabilities, Webb’s sensitive infrared eyes,
and ALMA’s broad network of radio dishes bring us an unmatched view of star
formation in the local universe.
Text credit: ESA/Hubble
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