NASA has
released a batch of new images in its Hubble Messier Catalogue, giving us fresh
looks at galaxies, nebulae, and more. Almost 250 years ago, French astronomer
Charles Messier drew up a list of 103 major astronomical objects that could be
seen from the Northern Hemisphere.
After the
Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990, astronomers began using it to take
images of each object. On March 16, 2018 NASA announced that 12 new images had
been added to the Hubble Messier Catalog, meaning it has now snapped 93 of the
total 110 objects (seven were added later). Messier originally drew up his list
so that he could more easily focus on watching comets. He labeled the most
visible astronomical phenomena because he was frustrated that they looked like
comets and caused him to waste time.
Some objects
have required multiple exposures from Hubble to capture the entire object, such
as the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), which required almost 7,400. Using its infrared
and ultraviolet filters, Hubble has also given us a whole new view at some of
these amazing locales.
M58, located
62 million light-years from Earth, was one of the first galaxies recognized to
have a spiral shape. NASA, ESA, STScI and D. Maoz (Tel Aviv University/Wise
Observatory)
This is M59,
60 million light-years from Earth, which is unusual for having a central region
that rotates oppositely to the rest of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, STScI, and W.
Jaffe (Sterrewacht Leiden) and P. Côté (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
Found 22,200
light-years from Earth, the globular cluster M62 is irregularly shaped,
possibly owing to its proximity to our Milky Way. NASA, ESA, STScI, and S.
Anderson (University of Washington) and J. Chaname (Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile)
The globular
cluster M75 contains about 400,000 stars. It is 13 billion years old and found
67,500 light-years from us. NASA, ESA, STScI, and G. Piotto (Università degli
Studi di Padova) and E. Noyola (Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische
Physik)
The
elliptical (or possibly lenticular) galaxy M86, containing 3,800 globular
clusters, is moving towards us – although it’s still 52 million light-years
away. NASA, ESA, STScI, and S. Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz) and
P. Côté (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
M88 is found
47 million light-years away. It’s a spiral galaxy with well-defined and
symmetrical arms. NASA, ESA, STScI and M. Stiavelli (STScI)
The
elliptical galaxy M89 is almost exactly circular. It’s found 50 million
light-years from us. NASA, ESA, STScI, and M. Franx (Universiteit Leiden) and
S. Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz)
This bright
and beautiful spiral galaxy is called M90. Found 59 million light-years away,
it contains about a trillion stars. NASA, ESA, STScI, and V. Rubin (Carnegie
Institution of Washington), D. Maoz (Tel Aviv University/Wise Observatory) and
D. Fisher (University of Maryland)
M95 is a
barred spiral galaxy found 33 million light-years away. Its arms play host to a
large amount of star formation. NASA, ESA, STScI, and D. Calzetti (University
of Massachusetts, Amherst) and R. Chandar (University of Toledo)
M98 is found
44 million light-years away and has an active nucleus, meaning its core is
brighter than the rest of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, STScI and V. Rubin (Carnegie
Institution of Washington)
Also called
the Surfboard galaxy, M108 is found 46 million light-years away. It gets its
name from appearing edge-on with no apparent bulge or core. NASA, ESA, STScI
and G. Illingworth (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Found 2.7
million light-years away orbiting the Andromeda galaxy, M110 is an elliptical
galaxy with no arms or regions of star formation. NASA, ESA, STScI and D.
Geisler (Universidad de Concepción)
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