Here is another stunning image of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Appearing like a solitary, hazy cloud against a canvas of radiant stars, the highly irregular galaxy ESO 174-1 comes to life in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Located about 11 million light-years from Earth, ESO 174-1 is composed of a brilliant cluster of stars encased in a delicate tendril of nebulous gas and dust.
Unraveling Galactic Mysteries with Hubble
The image is part of a comprehensive suite of Hubble observations aimed at demystifying our neighboring galaxies. The objective is to discern the brightest stars and fundamental properties of every identified galaxy within a 10-megaparsecs radius. A parsec, the astronomical unit of measure for galaxy-sized distances, simplifies the comprehension of cosmic distances. To put it into perspective, 10 megaparsecs is equivalent to 32 million light-years. To further illustrate, our Sun’s nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is a staggering 1.3 parsecs away, which translates to an awe-inspiring 25 trillion miles (40 trillion km)!
Maximizing Hubble’s Observing Time
The initiative to capture our neighboring galaxies leverages the 2-3% of Hubble’s free time between observations. As it’s ineffective for Hubble to consecutively observe objects located at opposing parts of the sky, programs like the one that captured ESO 174-1 are designed to fill these gaps. This method enables the telescope to gradually transition from one observation to the next, continuously collecting data. By employing these fill-in observing programs, Hubble can optimize every last minute of its observing time.
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