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This image of the week shows the star-free spiral galaxy NGC 5033, located about 40 million light-years away from the constellation Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs). The size of the galaxy is similar to that of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, with a little more than 100,000 light-years away. As in the Milky Way, the spiral arms of the NGC 5033 are dotted with blue regions, indicating ongoing star formation. The blue spots greet young hot stars forming, while the older, colder stars that populate the center of the galaxy make it look redder.
Unlike the Milky Way, it lacks a central bar for NGC 5033. Instead, it has a bright, energetic core called an active galactic core, which is powered by a supermassive black hole. This active nucleus gives it the classification of a Seyfert galaxy. Due to ongoing activity, the heart of the NGC 5033 shines all its electromagnetic spectrum. This liberated energy shows that the central black hole is currently devouring the stars, dust and gases approaching nearby. When it falls on the supermassive black hole, it radiates in many wavelengths.
While its relative proximity to the Earth makes it an ideal target for professional astronomers who wish to study its active nucleus in more detail, its large apparent size in the night sky and its luminosity also make it a good target for amateur astronomers.
Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgment: Judy Schmidt
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