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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have obtained a remarkable new view of the dwarf elliptical galaxy IC 3430.
This Hubble image shows IC 3430, a dwarf galaxy around 45 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. The color image includes both optical and near-infrared observations from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). It is based on data obtained through two filters. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.
IC 3430 lies approximately 45 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo.
This dwarf galaxy was discovered by the German astronomer Arnold Schwassmann on February 15, 1900.
Also known as LEDA 41294, UGC 7643 and VCC 1273, it has a diameter of only 25,000 light-years.
IC 3430 is a member of the Virgo cluster, a rich collection of galaxies both large and small galaxies, many of which are very similar in type to this dwarf galaxy.
“IC 3430 is a dwarf galaxy, a fact well reflected by this view from Hubble, but it is more precisely known as a dwarf elliptical or dE galaxy,” the Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Like its larger cousins, this galaxy has a smooth, oval shape lacking any recognizable features like arms or bars, and it is bereft of gas to form very many new stars.”
“Interestingly, IC 3430 does feature a core of hot, massive blue stars, an uncommon sight in elliptical galaxies that indicates recent star-forming activity.”
“It’s believed that ram pressure from the galaxy ploughing through gas within the Virgo cluster has ignited what gas does remain in IC 3430’s core to form some new stars.”
“Dwarf galaxies are really just galaxies with not many stars, usually fewer than a billion, but that is often enough for them to reproduce in miniature the same forms as larger galaxies,” the astronomers said.
“There are dwarf elliptical galaxies like IC 3430, dwarf irregular galaxies, dwarf spheroidal galaxies and even dwarf spiral galaxies.”
“The so-called Magellanic spiral is a distinct type of dwarf galaxy, too, the best example being the well-known dwarf galaxies that are the Magellanic Clouds.”
