Galaxy NGC 4900: A Spiral and a Star in Virgo | Hubble Space Telescope
This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture features a sparkling spiral galaxy paired with a prominent star, both in the constellation Virgo. While the galaxy and the star appear to be close to one another, even overlapping, they are actually a great distance apart. The star, marked with four long diffraction spikes, is in our own galaxy. It is just 7,109 light-years away from Earth. The galaxy, named NGC 4900, lies about 45 million light-years from Earth.
This image combines data from two of Hubble’s instruments: the Advanced Camera for Surveys, installed in 2002 and is still in operation today, and the older Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2—in use from 1993 to 2009. The data used here were taken more than 20 years apart for two different observing programs—a real testament to Hubble’s long scientific lifetime.
Both programs aimed to understand the demise of massive stars. In one, researchers studied the sites of past supernovae, aiming to estimate the masses of the stars that exploded and investigate how supernovae interact with their surroundings. NGC 4900 was selected for study because it hosted a supernova named SN 1999br.
In the other program, researchers laid the groundwork for studying future supernovae by collecting images of more than 150 nearby galaxies. After a supernova is detected in one of these galaxies, researchers can examine these images, searching for a star at the location of the supernova. Identifying a supernova progenitor star in pre-explosion images gives valuable information about how, when and why supernovae occur.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy seen face-on. Broken spiral arms made of blue patches of stars and thin strands of dark dust swirl around the galaxy’s center, forming a broad, circular disc. An extended circular halo surrounds the disc. The center is a brightly-glowing, stubby bar-shaped area in a pale yellow color. A bright star in our own galaxy, with long cross-shaped diffraction spikes, is visible atop the distant galaxy.
Release Date: March 10, 2025
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