The Hubble Space Telescope continues to display curious parts of our universe. Earlier this month, NASA shared an image of a galaxy hidden behind the Milky way. IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5, should be one of the brightest galaxies we have ever observed. But the galaxy is covered by thick cosmic dust on the equator of the Milky way.
This hidden galaxy is about 11million light-years away. And what makes it special is that although it can only be seen through the thick cosmic dust and other obstacles in the Milky way, it still shines.
Because of its infrared function, Hubble can peep through these space debris. The result is a startling image of the spiral appearance of the galaxy. NASA estimates that the galaxy is 50000 light-years wide.
"A shiny frontal view of the Galactic Center shows intertwined dust reels that surround the brilliant cores of hot gas and stars in spectacular arms," NASA wrote in a statement
According to the agency, the core of the galaxy is a region called the H II nucleus. This is a region of ionized atomic hydrogen, making it an "energetic star birthplace". NASA says thousands of stars may have formed in this type of region over millions of years.
However, this hidden galaxy is not the only recent Hubble discovery. This telescope has been observing the universe for more than 30 years. During this period, astronomers discovered some key information, and even some information challenged our understanding of the expansion of the universe.
But in addition, Hubble also captured images of two galaxies locked together and dancing, and even one galaxy with a mysterious rippling shell. This is not even the first time Hubble has captured hidden galaxies in the image. It also took pictures of it in 2017 and 2010.
It would be curious to see what other types of discoveries Hubble could make. And with James Weber starting to study exoplanets this summer, we humans will see more discoveries. But now, we can at least realize that some galaxies like Caldwell 5 are hidden behind us. They are not only thought-provoking but also absolutely amazing.