Hubble takes a closer look at the neighbor who is not too

Most of the most beloved galaxies in the cosmos are remarkably large, close, massive, bright or beautiful, often with an unusual or intriguing structure or story. However, it takes all kinds of things to create a universe, as shown in this image of Hubble's Messier 110.

Messier 110 does not seem like much, but it's a fascinating neighbor close to our home galaxy and an unusual example of this type. It is part of the local group, a galaxy gathering that includes the Milky Way and a number of galaxies close to it. In particular, Messier 110 is one of the many satellite galaxies surrounding the Andromeda galaxy, the largest galaxy closest to ours. It is classified in the category of dwarf elliptical galaxies, which means that it has a smooth structure and almost without particularity. Elliptical galaxies lack outstanding arms and pockets of star formation, two characteristic features of spiral galaxies. Dwarf ellipticals are quite common in groups and clusters of galaxies and are often satellites of larger galaxies.

Because they lack stellar nurseries and they mainly contain ancient stars, elliptical galaxies are often considered "dead" compared to their spiral parents. However, astronomers have spotted signs of a population of young blue stars in the center of Messier 110, suggesting that she might not be as "dead" after all.

Messier 110 features in Hubble's Messier catalog, which includes some of the most fascinating celestial objects that can be seen from the northern hemisphere of the Earth.