The Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled the grand finale in its series of mesmerizing images capturing jellyfish galaxies. Presenting JO206, located in the Aquarius constellation and situated over 700 million light-years away, this image serves as a stunning representation of these celestial entities, renowned for their striking resemblance to jellyfish with trailing tendrils of star formation. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Gullieuszik and the GASP team
The Hubble Space Telescope has released its final image in a captivating collection dedicated to jellyfish galaxies, featuring the remarkable JO206 in the Aquarius constellation. Jellyfish galaxies derive their name from their distinctive form, characterized by star-forming tendrils that bear an uncanny resemblance to the aquatic creatures. These tendrils arise due to interactions with the intra-cluster medium within galaxy clusters. Hubble’s discoveries indicate that environmental factors have minimal influence on star formation, evident through the similarities between the galaxy’s primary disk and its trailing tendrils.
The mesmerizing jellyfish galaxy, JO206, gracefully glides across this image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. It showcases a vibrant star-forming disk enveloped by a soft, luminous cloud of dust. At the bottom of the image, a few brilliant stars with diffraction spikes elegantly punctuate the inky black backdrop. JO206 resides within the Aquarius constellation, over 700 million light-years away from Earth. This captivating image represents the sixth and final installment in the series of observations dedicated to jellyfish galaxies. Additional observations of these intriguing galaxies, ranging from grandiose to ethereal, can be found here.
Jellyfish galaxies earned their name due to their striking resemblance to their marine counterparts. In this particular image, the disk of JO206 is accompanied by elongated tendrils of radiant star formation, stretching towards the lower right of the frame, mirroring the trailing tentacles of jellyfish. These tendrils emerge as a result of the interaction between galaxies and the intra-cluster medium, a sparse, superheated plasma that pervades galaxy clusters. As galaxies traverse these clusters, they encounter the intra-cluster medium, which strips gas from the galaxies, drawing it into elongated tendrils where star formation occurs.
The tentacles of jellyfish galaxies present astronomers with a unique opportunity to explore the process of star formation under extreme conditions, far from the influence of the galaxy’s primary disk. Surprisingly, Hubble’s observations have revealed that there are no remarkable disparities between star formation in the disks of jellyfish galaxies and the star formation occurring within their tendrils. This suggests that the environment surrounding newly-formed stars has only a minor impact on their birth and development.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Jellyfish galaxies
What is a jellyfish galaxy?
A jellyfish galaxy is a type of galaxy that resembles a jellyfish due to its distinct shape, with trailing tendrils of star formation. These tendrils are formed by the interaction between the galaxy and the intra-cluster medium within galaxy clusters.
How far away is the jellyfish galaxy JO206?
The jellyfish galaxy JO206 is located over 700 million light-years away from Earth in the Aquarius constellation.
What did the Hubble Space Telescope capture in its final observation?
The Hubble Space Telescope captured a striking image of the jellyfish galaxy JO206, showcasing its colorful star-forming disk and trailing tendrils of star formation. This image marked the final observation in a series dedicated to studying jellyfish galaxies.
What did Hubble’s observations reveal about star formation in jellyfish galaxies?
Hubble’s observations suggested that environmental conditions have minimal influence on star formation in jellyfish galaxies. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences found between star formation in the galaxy’s main disk and its tendrils, indicating that the environment has only a minor impact on the formation of newly-formed stars.
Are there any other observations of jellyfish galaxies available?
Yes, Hubble has conducted observations of various jellyfish galaxies, ranging from grandiose to ghostly. Additional observations can be found in the series dedicated to studying these peculiar galaxies.
