https://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/25/blog-169-fiddling-around-with-ngc-772-2/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025-cr.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc772-astrometry.jpgNGC772--astrometryhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025-1.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc772-noirlab2209a-1.jpgGalaxy NGC 772The overdeveloped spiral arm of the galaxy NGC 772, which was created by tidal interactions with an unruly neighbor, dominates this observation made by astronomers using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawai‘i.2026-07-26T03:09:26+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/25/blog-170-a-sweet-swirl-2/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/6951-esa-hubble.jpgStarbursting centreThe glittering galaxy in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week is NGC 6951, which resides about 70 million light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. As this Hubble image shows, NGC 6951 is a spiral galaxy with plenty of intriguing structures. Most eye-catching are its spiral arms, which are dotted with brilliant red nebulae, bright blue stars and filamentary dust clouds. The spiral arms loop around the galactic centre, which has a golden glow that comes from a population of older stars. The centre of the galaxy is also distinctly elongated, revealing the presence of a slowly rotating bar of stars. NGC 6951’s bar may be responsible for another remarkable feature: a white-blue ring that encloses the very heart of the galaxy. This is called a circumnuclear starburst ring — essentially, a circle of enhanced star formation around the nucleus of a galaxy. The bar funnels gas toward the centre of the galaxy, where it collects in a ring about 3800 light-years across. Two dark dust lanes that run parallel to the bar mark the points where gas from the bar enters the ring. The dense gas of a circumnuclear starburst ring is the perfect environment to churn out an impressive number of stars. Using data from Hubble, astronomers have identified more than 80 potential star clusters within NGC 6951’s ring. Many of the stars formed less than 100 million years ago, but the ring itself is longer-lived, potentially having existed for 1–1.5 billion years. Astronomers have imaged NGC 6951 with Hubble for a wide variety of reasons, including mapping the dust in nearby galaxies, studying the centres of disc galaxies and keeping tabs on recent supernovae (of which NGC 6951 has hosted five or six). [Image Description: A spiral galaxy with large, open arms. A bar of yellow light, where old stars are gathered, crosses the middle of the disk. The very centre is a white point surrounded by a small, shining ring of star clusters. Thin lanes of dust swirl around thishttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc6951-9-111-2014.jpgNGC6951-9-1&11-20142026-07-26T02:57:45+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/25/blog-171-the-draco-triplet-2/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/noao-n5985robinson-1.jpgNGC 5985NGC 5985 (face-on spiral, upper-right) and NGC 5982 (elliptical) are two of three galaxies in what is sometimes called the Draco Triplet. The three are about 100 million lightyears away from Earth. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/draco-trio-noao.webpDraco-Trio-NOAOhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/triplet4.jpgTriplet4https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dracotriplet-7-1-2014.jpgDracoTriplet-7-1-2014https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dracotriplet-7-1-2014-b.jpgDracoTriplet-7-1-2014-bhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dracotriplet-7-1-2014-c.jpgDracoTriplet-7-1-2014-c2026-07-26T02:51:57+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/25/blog-172-a-flaming-star-2/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ic405-flaming-star-nebula-dss2r-800-theskylive.jpgic405-flaming-star-nebula-dss2r-800-theskylivehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/flamingstar-nov3-4-2025-adj.jpgFlamingStar-Nov3-4-2025-adjhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/flamingstar-nov3-4-2025-hubblepallet-adj.jpgFlamingStar-Nov3-4-2025-HubblePallet-adjhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/flamingstar-ds2-in-the-sky-org.jpgFlamingStar-DS2-in-the-sky-org2026-07-26T02:41:58+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-163-somethings-fishy/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/fish-head-nebula-lrgb-10-6-2024-1.jpgFish-Head-Nebula--LRGB-10-6-2024https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/nottheiris-lrgb.jpgNottheIris-LRGBhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/iris-lrgb.jpgIris-LRGBhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/fish-head-nebula-lrgb-10-6-2024.jpgFish-Head-Nebula--LRGB-10-6-20242026-07-19T00:32:35+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-161-color-part-1/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/crabby-nebula-mosaic-jpg.jpgcrabby-nebula-mosaic-jpghttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon-lrgb-median-sm.jpgCocoon-LRGB-median-smhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon.jpgCocoonhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon-0001b.jpgCocoon-0001Bhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon-0001g.jpgCocoon-0001Ghttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon-0001r.jpgCocoon-0001Rhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cocoon-0001l.jpgCocoon-0001Lhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/filters.jpgFiltershttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/camera.jpgcamera2026-07-19T00:29:28+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-162-color-part-2/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kwajbike-4-5-3.jpgKwajbike-4-5-3https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kwajbike-red.jpgKwajbike-redhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kwajbike-green.jpgKwajbike-greenhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kwajbike-blue.jpgKwajbike-bluehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/wwi-close-a.jpgWWI-close-ahttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/wwi.jpgWWIhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/lippmann-by-jonathan-tod-hilty.jpgLIPPMANN-by-Jonathan-Tod-Hiltyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/maxwell.jpgMaxwellhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/hillotype.jpgHillotype. Image modified by division.Hillotype. Image modified by division.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dougyorkdag.jpgDougYorkDag2026-07-19T00:10:07+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-164-snowglobe/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc6781-snowglobe-nightof8-5-6-2025-cr.jpgNGC6781-Snowglobe-nightof8-5-6-2025-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc6781-snowglobe-nightof8-5-6-2025.jpgNGC6781-Snowglobe-nightof8-5-6-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/sensors-july-9-2025.jpgsensors-July-9-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/motors-july-9-2025-sm.jpgmotors-July-9-2025-smhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/motors-july-9-2025.jpgmotors-July-9-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/may-15-2025.jpgMay-15-20252026-07-18T23:37:54+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-165-andromedas-neighbor/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc7640-esahubblenasa.jpgA spiral in AndromedaNot to be confused with our neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy, the Andromeda constellation is one of the 88 modern constellations. More importantly for this image, it is home to the pictured NGC 7640. Many different classifications are used to identify galaxies by shape and structure — NGC 7640 is a barred spiral type. These are recognisable by their spiral arms, which fan out not from a circular core, but from an elongated bar cutting through the galaxy’s centre. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is also a barred spiral galaxy. NGC 7640 might not look much like a spiral in this image, but this is due to the orientation of the galaxy with respect to Earth — or to Hubble, which acted as photographer in this case! We often do not see galaxies face on, which can make features such as spiral arms less obvious. There is evidence that NGC 7640 has experienced some kind of interaction in its past. Galaxies contain vast amounts of mass, and therefore affect one another via gravity. Sometimes these interactions can be mild, and sometimes hugely dramatic, with two or more colliding and merging into a new, bigger galaxy. Understanding the history of a galaxy, and what interactions it has experienced, helps astronomers to improve their understanding of how galaxies — and the stars within them — form.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/nasa-milkyway.jpgNASA-MilkyWayhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/3-01am9-2-2025.jpg3-01am9-2-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/3-01am9-2-2025-cr.jpg3-01am9-2-2025-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc7640-all4nights-cr.jpgNGC7640-all4nights-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc7640-all4nights.jpgNGC7640-all4nights2026-07-18T23:28:08+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-166-planetary-nebulas-and-seti/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/helix-8-2728-10-1213-b.jpgHelix-8-27&28-10-12&13-b2026-07-18T23:12:59+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/18/blog-167-a-trifle-of-a-trifid/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ngc1579-nov12-2025-sm.jpgNGC1579-Nov1&2-2025-smhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/trifid-by-the-planets.jpgtrifid-by-The-Planets2026-07-18T23:08:51+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/03/blog-168-a-crab-floating-in-the-moonlight/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/crab-11-67-2025-cr.jpgCrab-11-6&7-2025-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/crab-by-rosse.jpgCrab-by-Rossehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/fulgurite.nps_.gov_.jpgfulgurite.nps.govhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/crab-hybble.jpgCrab-Hybblehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/crab-11-67-2025.jpgCrab-11-6&7-20252026-07-10T04:02:58+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/07/09/blog-25-a-night-on-frisco-peak/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1-1.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1-2.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-2-1.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-2.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-2-2.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-3.jpegimagehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-3-1.jpegimage2026-07-09T09:09:35+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/02/09/blog-169-fiddling-around-with-ngc-772/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025-cr.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ngc772-astrometry.jpgNGC772--astrometryhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025-1.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ngc772-oct20-21-oct23-24-2025.jpgNGC772-Oct20-21-Oct23-24-2025https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ngc772-noirlab2209a.jpgGalaxy NGC 772The overdeveloped spiral arm of the galaxy NGC 772, which was created by tidal interactions with an unruly neighbor, dominates this observation made by astronomers using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawai‘i.2026-07-03T07:17:43+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/06/21/blog-173-glories-of-hercules/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m13-6-23-2026-b-1.jpgM13-6-23-2026-bhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m13-6-23-2026-b.jpgM13-6-23-2026-bhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m13-6-23-2026.jpgM13-6-23-2026https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m13-lrgb-6-18-2026-1.jpgM13-LRGB-6-18-2026https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m13-lrgb-6-18-2026.jpgM13-LRGB-6-18-2026https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/m-13-6-18-2026.jpgM-13-6-18-2026https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ngc6207-6-17-2026-cr-1.jpgNGC6207-6-17-2026-crhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kerpenik-n6207.jpgKerpenik-n6207https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ngc6207-6-17-2026.jpgNGC6207-6-17-2026https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ngc6207-6-17-2026-cr.jpgNGC6207-6-17-2026-cr2026-06-23T18:41:01+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/05/30/blog-172-a-flaming-star/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/flamingstar-nov3-4-2025-adj.jpgFlamingStar-Nov3-4-2025-adjhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/flamingstar-nov3-4-2025-hubblepallet-adj.jpgFlamingStar-Nov3-4-2025-HubblePallet-adjhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ic405-flaming-star-nebula-dss2r-800-theskylive.jpgic405-flaming-star-nebula-dss2r-800-theskylivehttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/flamingstar-ds2-in-the-sky-org.jpgFlamingStar-DS2-in-the-sky-org2026-05-31T05:42:33+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/04/28/blog-171-the-draco-triplet/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/noao-n5985robinson-1.jpgNGC 5985NGC 5985 (face-on spiral, upper-right) and NGC 5982 (elliptical) are two of three galaxies in what is sometimes called the Draco Triplet. The three are about 100 million lightyears away from Earth. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/noao-n5985robinson.jpgNGC 5985NGC 5985 (face-on spiral, upper-right) and NGC 5982 (elliptical) are two of three galaxies in what is sometimes called the Draco Triplet. The three are about 100 million lightyears away from Earth. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/noirlab-ngc5982.jpgTrio of Galaxies (NGC 5981, NGC 5982 and NGC 5985)This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The edge-on galaxy NGC 5981 (top), the elliptical galaxy NGC 5982 (middle) and the spiral galaxy NGC 5985 (bottom) form a distinct trio. It is not clear if or when these galaxies might merge with each other. But there is already evidence that NGC 5982 has already merged with one or more smaller galaxies in the recent past. The image was generated with observations in the B (blue), V (green), and I (red) filters. In this image, North is left, East is down.https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/triplet3.jpgTriplet32026-04-28T22:41:45+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/2026/03/29/blog-170-a-sweet-swirl/https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/6951-esa-hubble.jpgStarbursting centreThe glittering galaxy in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week is NGC 6951, which resides about 70 million light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. As this Hubble image shows, NGC 6951 is a spiral galaxy with plenty of intriguing structures. Most eye-catching are its spiral arms, which are dotted with brilliant red nebulae, bright blue stars and filamentary dust clouds. The spiral arms loop around the galactic centre, which has a golden glow that comes from a population of older stars. The centre of the galaxy is also distinctly elongated, revealing the presence of a slowly rotating bar of stars. NGC 6951’s bar may be responsible for another remarkable feature: a white-blue ring that encloses the very heart of the galaxy. This is called a circumnuclear starburst ring — essentially, a circle of enhanced star formation around the nucleus of a galaxy. The bar funnels gas toward the centre of the galaxy, where it collects in a ring about 3800 light-years across. Two dark dust lanes that run parallel to the bar mark the points where gas from the bar enters the ring. The dense gas of a circumnuclear starburst ring is the perfect environment to churn out an impressive number of stars. Using data from Hubble, astronomers have identified more than 80 potential star clusters within NGC 6951’s ring. Many of the stars formed less than 100 million years ago, but the ring itself is longer-lived, potentially having existed for 1–1.5 billion years. Astronomers have imaged NGC 6951 with Hubble for a wide variety of reasons, including mapping the dust in nearby galaxies, studying the centres of disc galaxies and keeping tabs on recent supernovae (of which NGC 6951 has hosted five or six). [Image Description: A spiral galaxy with large, open arms. A bar of yellow light, where old stars are gathered, crosses the middle of the disk. The very centre is a white point surrounded by a small, shining ring of star clusters. Thin lanes of dust swirl around thishttps://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ngc6951-9-111-2014-1.jpgNGC6951-9-1&11-2014https://joesastrostuff.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ngc6951-9-111-2014.jpgNGC6951-9-1&11-20142026-03-30T04:33:28+00:00monthlyhttps://joesastrostuff.blog/about/2026-02-10T05:11:27+00:00weekly0.6https://joesastrostuff.blogdaily1.02026-07-26T03:09:26+00:00