Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 5335 – a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo.

The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. According to ESA, thousands of distant galaxies are speckled throughout the image in a variety of colors. 

Hubble is revealing how galaxies form, grow, and evolve over cosmic time by capturing detailed images of galaxies at various stages of development, from the nearby universe to billions of light-years away.

Hubble images have shown us that galaxies collide and merge, that star formation varies across different types of galaxies, and that supermassive black holes often lie at their centers.

Studying NGC 5335

The galaxy NGC 5335 lies approximately 160 million light-years from Earth. It is classified as an SB(s)bc type galaxy, indicating a well-defined bar structure across its center with less distinct spiral arms. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on May 13, 1793. 

Like many galaxies of its type, NGC 5335 features active star formation, especially in its spiral arms, where interstellar gas and dust provide the raw material for new stars. 

Observations in different wavelengths, including infrared and ultraviolet, help astronomers study its stellar population and the dynamics of its central bar.

Hubble’s view of the spiral galaxy 

“NGC 5335 is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way,” noted ESA.

“A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation.” 

“Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.”

Galactic bar in the Milky Way 

The bar in the Milky Way is a vast, elongated structure composed mostly of stars, stretching across the galaxy’s central region. It is a key feature of our galaxy’s architecture, spanning about 27,000 light-years and oriented at an angle relative to the galaxy’s spiral arms. 

Astronomers believe it plays a crucial role in the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way by funneling gas inward toward the galactic center, which can feed star formation and fuel the supermassive black hole at the core. 

The bar is thought to have formed from instabilities in the galactic disk and continues to influence the motion of stars and the overall gravitational balance of the galaxy. 

Observations in infrared and radio wavelengths, which can pierce through the dust in the galactic plane, have helped scientists map the bar’s size, shape, and orientation.

The constellation Virgo 

Virgo is one of the most prominent and well-known constellations in the night sky, both astronomically and mythologically. It is the second-largest constellation by area and lies along the zodiac, making it one of the twelve constellations through which the Sun appears to move during the year. 

Virgo is most visible in the evening sky in the Northern Hemisphere during spring, particularly in April and May. Its name means “virgin” in Latin.

Virgo is traditionally associated with various fertility and agriculture goddesses across different cultures, including the Greek goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, as well as the Roman goddess Ceres. 

In some myths, Virgo represents Astraea, the virgin goddess of justice who fled to the heavens during the corruption of mankind.

Astronomical significance of Virgo

Astronomically, Virgo is situated between Leo to the west and Libra to the east. One of its most notable stars is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo and one of the brightest in the night sky. 

Spica is a blue-white giant, located approximately 250 light-years from Earth. It has been important for navigation and agriculture for centuries, marking planting and harvest times in ancient calendars.

Virgo is also of great interest to astronomers because it hosts the Virgo Cluster, a massive cluster of galaxies about 65 million light-years away. 

This cluster contains more than 1,000 galaxies, and it’s part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which also includes our own Local Group of galaxies. This makes Virgo a key area for studying large-scale structures in the universe.

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