Astronomers utilizing the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have unveiled a striking image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 2566, located approximately 76 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis.
Discovered on March 6, 1785, by William Herschel, NGC 2566, also known as ESO 495-3, LEDA 23303, or UGCA 138, is part of the PGC 80593 group, which includes at least 16 large galaxies.
Due to its tilted orientation, NGC 2566's disk appears almond-shaped, resembling a cosmic eye. Hubble astronomers have stated that this unique perspective allows for detailed surveys of the galaxy's star clusters and star-forming regions.
The data collected by Hubble is particularly valuable for studying stars that are only a few million years old, as these stars emit significant ultraviolet and visible light detectable by the telescope.
Researchers plan to use this information to determine the ages of NGC 2566's stars, contributing to a better understanding of the galaxy's star formation timeline and the interactions between gas clouds and stars.
In addition to Hubble's observations, NGC 2566 has been studied by several other astronomical observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, which provides complementary data on the galaxy's warm dust.
Furthermore, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), comprising 66 radio telescopes, has captured images of the gas clouds in which stars form, enhancing the overall understanding of NGC 2566.