Hubble image of a 'galaxy destroyer' emerges as Picture of the Week
NGC 1511 is a peculiar spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Hydrus. In this image, however, the galaxy’s spiral shape is not clearly visible as it is viewed from the edge.
NGC 1511 does not travel through space alone. It moves with a pair of small galaxies — NGC 1511A and NGC 1511B. Of NGC 1511’s two companion galaxies, NGC 1511B is the closest. NGC 1511 and NGC 1511B have a history of collision, one that left NGC 1511B distorted.
Unlike NGC 1511B, which survived the incident, there is evidence of a companion galaxy that was completely destroyed in a collision with NGC 1511. NGC 1511’s strange loops and plumes could be evidence that the galaxy itself has been affected by these interactions.
The galaxy is forming new stars at a high rate. The areas of star formation appear red and pink in the image. The blue glow in the image indicates the presence of younger stars in the galaxy’s spiral arms. Dark dust spreads over the galaxy’s disk.
These new Hubble observations of NGC 1511 will provide researchers with an opportunity to study star clusters and understand the movement of matter between stars and their surrounding interstellar clouds.
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