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QUICK FACTS
What it’s: NGC 6000, a spiral galaxy
The place it’s: 102 million light-years away within the constellation Scorpius
When it was shared: Sept. 29, 2025
Right here’s a narrative for the ages — or perhaps a narrative of the ages.
The yellow tells the story of the middle of NGC 6000, the place stars are previous, small and comparatively cool. These stars have been shining for billions of years. In astronomy, cool stars are crimson, whereas the most popular stars are blue. The latter dominate the outskirts of this galaxy, the place its spiral arms are crammed with stars which are youthful, hotter and bigger. These stars are cosmic newborns.
The picture, which can also be accessible as a panning video, was produced whereas Hubble looked for supernova explosions — therefore the unfinished framing. The getting old area telescope focused the faint glow of supernovas referred to as SN 2007ch and SN 2010as, stars that exploded in 2007 and 2010, respectively.
Nonetheless, whereas imaging NGC 6000, Hubble additionally captured one thing else completely. Look on the right-hand aspect of the picture, and 4 faint damaged traces will be seen — the trail of an asteroid that drifted throughout Hubble’s area of view because it took 4 long-exposure pictures of NGC 6000. The damaged traces are crimson and blue as a result of Hubble used crimson and blue filters to gather seen gentle, which makes it simpler for astronomers to match stars by their colours.
Though it’s within the constellation Scorpius, which is seen in summer time from the Northern Hemisphere, NGC 6000 lies south of the celestial equator, in response to The Sky Dwell. Meaning it’s extra simply seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Nonetheless, to glimpse it requires no less than a 10-inch aperture telescope and a darkish sky.
For extra elegant area pictures, take a look at our House Photograph of the Week archives.
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