Hubble's found countless things in space over the last 31 years, and the latest photo it's shared is another reminder of just how deep it can really look into the universe. Humanity's made an abundance of space-related discoveries over the years. We've determined the age of the known universe, discovered thousands of exoplanets, and continually get a better understanding of our own Solar System.
At the heart of many of said discoveries is Hubble. NASA launched Hubble in April 1990 as a $1.5 billion project. It required a tremendous amount of time and research to complete, but the end result has repeatedly been worth it. From studying our own galaxy to ones far away, Hubble's been an invaluable tool for learning more about outer space.
On the official Hubble blog, NASA just shared a new Hubble photo that further reminds how darn impressive it really is. The picture above showcases the Mrk 1337 galaxy. It has a bright yellow center, huge spiral arms, and doesn't look too different from the Milky Way. However, this isn't a galaxy anyone will be visiting for a long time. That's because Mrk 1337 is 120 million light-years away from Earth. Despite that unfathomable distance, Hubble still managed to capture it in impeccable detail. The image clearly shows the galaxy's many stars, its glowing center with intricate swirls around it, and the unique shape of its spirals.
Where Hubble Found This Gorgeous Galaxy
The Mrk 1337 galaxy resides in the Virgo constellation. NASA explains that Mrk 1337 is a "weakly barred spiral galaxy," meaning that its spiral arms are composed of gas and stars. These bars are seen in about half of all spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way (hence the similar appearance between it and Mrk 1337). This particular photo was captured as part of a larger project by NASA to analyze how quickly the universe is expanding. A single image certainly doesn't hold all the answers, but it gets scientists one step closer to the ones they're searching for.
And this is but just one of many Hubble photos NASA's shared in 2021. The telescope has also recently spotted a nebula creating a giant shock wave in space, two galaxies that appear to be 'dancing' with each other, and a beautiful 'golden ring' that's 9 billion light-years away from Earth. Whether it be this latest photo, any of the ones mentioned above, or the countless others captured by Hubble, all of them paint a more complete picture of the universe we live in.
Source: NASA