(Photo Credit: ESA/NASA/Hubble/ R. Buta)
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured another amazing picture, this time of the golden rings of distant galaxy, NGC 3081, alongside an assortment of glittering galaxies which are visible in the background.
Located in the Hydra constellation, NGC 3081 is over 86 million light-years from Earth and is known as a type II Seyfert galaxy, characterized by its bright, eye catching nucleus.
A bright loop, known as a resonance ring, surrounds the galaxy’s barred spiral center. Resonance rings form in very specific locations where gravitational effects throughout a galaxy cause gas to accumulate in certain positions. Comprised of bright clusters and bursts of new star formations, the ring frames the supermassive black hole which is thought to be lurking within NGC 3081’s centre.
The magnificent image was snapped using Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. A combination of ultraviolet, optical, and infrared observations make up the picture, allowing the galaxy’s distinctive features to be observed across a wide range of light wavelengths.
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