Astronomers have unveiled a stunning image of the spiral galaxy UGC 10043 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope over 23 years. The unique composition, created from data collected in 2000 and 2023, reveals the secrets of this unusually large bulge at the galaxy’s center.
UGC 10043 is located 150 million light-years away in the constellation Serpens. When viewed edge-on, its spiral arms appear flattened into a line, offering astronomers a rare glimpse into the 3D structure of these galaxies. The image shows lanes of dust that would typically be seen as spiral arms if the galaxy were face-on.
Dark clouds within the galaxy contain star-forming regions. These clouds block the collective glow of stars in the galaxy and appear to fuel new star creation. UGC 10043’s bright core, or bulge, is unusually large, leading scientists to speculate that a nearby dwarf galaxy collision may have contributed to its formation.
The galaxy’s disk is also warped, bending up at one end and down at the other. This warping could be evidence of another colliding galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope’s 23-year observation period allowed it to capture this rare image, providing valuable insights into the structure and evolution of spiral galaxies like UGC 10043.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/space-photo-of-the-week-the-tilted-spiral-galaxy-that-took-hubble-23-years-to-capture