June 16 () –
The galaxy NGC 7292 billows across this image of the hubble space telescope, accompanied by a handful of bright stars and indistinct smudges of extremely distant galaxies in the background.
About 44 million light years from Earth In the constellation Pegasus, this galaxy is irregular, meaning it lacks the distinct spiral arms or elliptical shape of some galaxies.
Unusually, its nucleus is stretched into a distinct bar, a feature seen in many spiral galaxies. In addition to its hazy shape, NGC 7292 is remarkably faint. As a result, astronomers classify NGC 7292 as a galaxy of low surface brightness, barely distinguishable against the background of the night sky. Such galaxies are usually dominated by gas and dark matter rather than stars, reports NASA.
Astronomers directed Hubble to inspect NGC 7292 during an observing campaign that looked at the aftermath of Type II supernovae to learn more about their diversity. These colossal explosions occur when a massive star collapses and then rebounds violently in a catastrophic explosion that shatters the star.
Astronomers observed NGC 7292’s supernova in 1964 and named it SN 1964H. Study the stellar neighborhood of SN 1964H helps astronomers estimate the initial mass of the star that went supernova. The observations could help discover surviving stellar companions that once shared a system with the star that became SN 1964H.