Hubble Picture of the week

Galaxies come in many shapes and sizes. One of the key types of galaxies we see in the universe is the spiral galaxy, as shown in the subject of this image of the Hubble Week, NGC 2985. NGC 2985 stands at over 70 million light years from the solar system. in the constellation Ursa Major (Ursa Major).

The almost perfect complex symmetry that is exposed here reveals the incredible complexity of NGC 2985. Multiple tightly wound spiral arms expand as they spin from the bright center of the galaxy, s & # ld; erasing and dissipating slowly until these majestic structures disappear into the emptiness of intergalactic space. , bringing a beautiful end to their starry splendor.

Over the centuries, spiral galaxies tend to cross into other galaxies, often resulting in fusions. These coalescing events blur the sinuous structures of the original galaxies by smoothing and rounding their shapes. These objects have a beauty of their own, distinct from the spiral galaxies from which they come.

Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA, L. Ho