NGC 4535 is a spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (The Maiden). The galaxy has a central bar of stars and massive spiral arms. A lot of activity goes on in the spiral arms.

In this image, the spiral arms mostly glow blue with several pink-glowing dots scattered around. The blue glow comes from young massive hot stars.

The surrounding pink-glowing regions are called H II (“H-two”) regions. They form when newly born, hot, massive stars ionize the surrounding hydrogen gas with their UV radiation. Hubble’s previous image of NGC 4535 failed to highlight these star-forming regions (nebulae).

NGC 4535 appears bold, bright, and colorful in this Hubble image. But under different conditions, its features are very difficult to appreciate. When viewed through a small telescope, it is extremely faint. That is what earned it the nickname, the “Lost Galaxy.”

This NGC 4535 image makes use of data from an observing program that will catalog about 50,000 H II regions in nearby star-forming galaxies. The galaxy is studied as part of the PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS) program. The program seeks to understand the link between young stars and cold gas.

Related Articles

Chibuike Okpara – Tech Writer – 288 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, “Why not get into writing tech articles?” It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a ‘bookworm’ of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.