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The breathtaking photo of NASA was taken by the Hubble Historical Telescope using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument. The photo shows the distant galaxy NGC 7773 in full glory for hundreds of millions of kilometers. The galaxy, just like our own Milky Way, is a so-called barred spiral galaxy. These incredible star clusters feature a bar shape at the heart of the galaxy, with twisted or spiral arms extending from the sides.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), which operates the Hubble telescope in partnership with NASA, the NGC 7773 could reveal clues about galaxy formation.
The ESA said: "The NGC 7773 is a fine example of a barred spiral galaxy.
"A light bar-shaped structure cuts sharply across the bright core of the galaxy, extending to the inner boundary of the spiral arms of NGC 7773.
"Astronomers believe that these bar structures will appear later in the life of a galaxy, while state-forming materials are moving toward the galactic center. Younger spirals do not have barred structures as often as older spirals, suggesting that bars are a sign of galactic maturity.
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"They also think that they act as stellar nurseries because they shine brightly with a lot of young stars."
We think our own Milly Way galaxy is banned, as is NGC 7773.
However, since we are located in the galaxy itself, it is difficult for astronomers here on Earth to have a good view of the Milky Way.
NASA said: "Several telescopes, both on the ground and in space, took images of the Milky Way disk by taking a series of photos in different directions, much as if you were taking panoramic pictures with your camera or your phone.
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"The concentration of stars in a group adds to the evidence that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy.
"If we lived in an elliptical galaxy, we would see its stars spread in the sky, not in a single band."
Be that as it may, Earth is about 26,000 light-years from the heart of the galaxy – a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A *.
Indeed, said NASA, our solar system is located in the "suburbs" of the Milky Way.
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But by observing galaxies such as NGC 7773 in the wild, astronomers hope to learn more about the universe and our corner of space.
ESA said: "We think that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is a barred spiral like NGC 7773.
"By studying galactic specimens such as NGC 7773 in the universe, researchers hope to learn about the processes that have shaped – and continue to shape – our cosmic focus."
The space agency added that Hubble's WFC3 camera, installed in 2009, produced some of Hubble's most "breathtaking and iconic" photographs.
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