IC 5298
This is a beautiful face-on spiral galaxy with two long arms extending from the central bulge and curving back amongst the scattered stars, gas and dust. A nearby smaller companion is linked by a bridge of matter to the principal galaxy in an interaction reminiscent of the famous Whirlpool Galaxy, M51. There is also a third faint, irregular galaxy, visible at the top of the image that is also linked by a bridge of matter and probably involved in the interaction.
This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.
Credit:NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
About the Image
| Id: | heic0810az |
|---|---|
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 24 April 2008, 15:00 |
| Related releases: | heic0810 |
| Size: | 3169 x 3169 px |
About the Object
| Name: | IC 5298 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Distance: | 350 million light years |
| Constellation: | Pegasus |
| Category: | Anniversary Galaxies |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 23 16 0.82 |
|---|---|
| Position (Dec): | 25° 33' 19.96" |
| Field of view: | 2.64 x 2.64 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 57.5° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical B | 435 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical Pseudogreen (B+I) |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS | |
| Infrared I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |