PIX4611598: Spiral galaxy of Sombrero M104 in the Virgin - The Sombrero galaxy (M104) in Virgo - The spiral galaxy M104 (NGC 4594, Sombrero galaxy) is located about 28 million years ago - light. Image obtained with the ANTU telescope of the VLT on January 30, 2000. The light from this remarkable spiral system is dominated by the billions of old, faint stars that form the vast 'bulge' around its tiny hidden nucleus. Most spirals, including the Milky Way, have clouds of old, faint stars around their nuclei, but in M104 the galaxy's light is dominated by them. This effect is enhanced because disk of the galaxy is seen nearly edge - on and dust in its outer parts is in silhouette as it crosses the picture. The galaxy is about 28 million light years distant. This image was obtained with FORS1 instrument on ANTU telescope at Paranal observatory on January 30 2000 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4611595: Spiral galaxy of the Sombrero M104 infrared view - Sombrero galaxy seen in infrared - Infrared image of the spiral galaxy M104 (Sombrero galaxy), located about 28 million years ago - light, obtained with the Spitzer space telescope in 2004 and January 2005. Infrared radiation shows the dust of the disc visible throughout the circumference. A high emission also comes from the center of the galaxy where a supermassive black hole is thought to reside there. This spiral galaxy is located some 28 million light - years away. The infrared image obtained by Spitzer space telescope in 2004 and 2005 pierces through the obscuring dust, along with the bulge of stars. It shows that the disk is warped, which is often the result of a gravitational encounter with another galaxy; clumpy areas spotted in the far edges of the ring indicate young star - forming regions. Spitzer detected infrared emission not only from the ring, but from the center of the galaxy too, where there is a huge black hole, believed to be a billion times more massive than our Sun / Bridgeman Images
PIX4610090: Barree spiral galaxy NGC 2442 in Flying Fish - NGC 2442, a barred spiral galaxy in Volans - NGC 2442 is a barree spiral galaxy located about 50 million years ago - light. Its asymmetrical shape suggests that a galaxy interacts with it. Image made with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. This unusual barred spiral galaxy is in the far southern constellation of Volans and was discovered by Sir John Herschel who described one of its spiral arms as hook - like. Although not seen here, (but evident on very deep images) NGC 2442 appears to have a less massive, distant companion that is also distorted, and it seems likely that the two have had a close encounter in the recent past. If there are no further meetings, the forces that hold NGC 2442 together will restore galaxy to a more symmetrical spiral form. However, much more likely is that the companion has been captured by the distorted spiral and will eventually be devoured by it, triggering a dramatic bout of star formation. NGC 2442 is about 50 million light years distant / Bridgeman Images
PIX4611377: The elliptical galaxy NGC 4458 - The elliptical galaxy NGC 4458 - The galaxy NGC 4458 is 53 million years away - light from Earth, in the Virgin's cluster. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. The elliptical galaxy NGC 4458 lies at a distance of 53 million light - years from the Sun in the spring constellation Virgo. This image was made from data taken with Hubble space telescope / Bridgeman Images
PIX4611429: M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - The M87 galaxy (NGC 4486) is located about 60 million years ago - light from Earth, in the heart of the Virgin's cluster. M87 is the brightest radio source in the constellation, it is also called Virgo A. Image made with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Messier 87 (NGC 4486) is at the heart of the Virgo cluster and has a mass many times that of the Milky Way, itself no lightweight. Unlike our galaxy however, M87 is an elliptical galaxy. Though it appears more - or - less spherical on this photograph, a deep image shows it to be markedly elongated. Also unlike the Milky Way, M87 contains relatively little gas and dust. It is composed mainly of cool stars, which gives it a yellowish colour, in contrast to the blue of spiral galaxies. Despite the lack of star - forming materials, M87 is not a quiescent backwater. It is a powerful source of radio waves and the orbits of stars near its nucleus suggest they are held by a very massive, extremely compact core. Also, from the nucleus (but not seen here) extends a curious jet, all of which suggests that a massive black hole is hidden in the bright core of the galaxy / Bridgeman Images
PIX4611532: Spiral galaxy NGC 4565 in Berenice's Hair - Spiral galaxy NGC 4565 in Coma Berenices - The galaxy NGC 4565 is located about 30 million years ago - light from Earth. It's a spiral galaxy seen by the slice. Image obtained with a 50 cm telescope, composite of several poses. Edge - on galaxy located at about 30 million light years away / Bridgeman Images
PIX4611656: Spiral galaxy of Sombrero M104 in the Virgin - The Sombrero galaxy (M104) in Virgo - Image of the spiral galaxy M104 or NGC 4594 (Sombrero galaxy), located between 28 and 40 million years - light. Image obtained with a telescope 61 cm in diameter, 3h40 laying. The Sombrero, named after the broad - brimmed Mexican hat it superficially resembles, is probably the most famous galaxy in the sky. The spiral galaxy is between 28 to 40 million light years distant. Image taken with a 24 - inch telescope, total exposure time: 3 hours 40 minutes / Bridgeman Images
PIX4610471: Spiral Galaxy NGC 3079 in the Great Bear - Spiral galaxy NGC 3079 - NGC 3079 is a spiral galaxy distant about 50 million years - light from Earth. His disc measures about 70,000 years - light. This false-colored image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998 shows that a huge gas bubble escapes from the galaxy. This bubble rises more than 3500 years ago - light above the disk of the galaxy. It is a wind from hot stars and blends with very hot gas from supernovae explosions that would cause this bubble. The picture shows the bubble in the center of the NGC 3079 galaxy's disk. The structure is more than 3,000 light - years wide and rises 3,500 light - years above the galaxy's disk. Astronomers suspect that the bubble is being blown by “” winds”” (high - speed streams of particles) released during a burst of star formation. Eventually, this gas will rain down upon the galaxy's disk where it may collide with gas clouds, compress them, and form a new generation of stars. The two white dots just above the bubble are probably stars in the galaxy. According to theoretical models, the bubble formed when ongoing winds from hot stars mixed with small bubbles of very hot gas from supernova explosions. NGC 3079 is 50 million light - years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. The colors in this image accentuate important details in the bubble. Glowing gas is red and starlight is blue/green. Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 snapped this picture in 1998 / Bridgeman Images