Imaged by the Hubble telescope, NGC 4753 shows complex structures composed of dust and dark matter halos. This galaxy is an important area for studying galaxy formation and measuring cosmic distances.

A new image taken by NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 4753, a lenticular galaxy seen almost edge-on. These galaxies are characterized by their elliptical shape and faint spiral arms.

Hubble’s clearest image ever

This image is the clearest image of the object to date, demonstrating Hubble’s incredible resolution and ability to reveal complex dust structures. NGC 4753 is located about 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo and was first discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1784. It is part of the NGC 4753 galaxy group in the Virgo II Cloud, which contains approximately 100 galaxies and galaxy clusters.

This galaxy is believed to be the result of a galactic merger with a nearby dwarf galaxy approximately 1.3 billion years ago. The distinctive dust lanes around the core of NGC 4753 are believed to have formed as a result of this merger.

The role of dark matter

It is now believed that most of the galaxy’s mass lies in its slightly flattened spherical halo of dark matter. Dark matter is a form of matter that is not currently directly observable but is believed to make up approximately 85% of all matter in the universe. It is called “dark” because it does not interact with the electromagnetic field and therefore does not emit, reflect or refract light.

This object is also of scientific interest for testing various theories regarding the formation of lenticular galaxies, given its low-density environment and complex structure. Additionally, two Type Ia supernovae occurred in this galaxy. Such supernovae are extremely important because they all result from the explosion of white dwarfs that have companion stars and always reach a peak of 5 billion times brighter than the Sun. Knowing the true brightness of these events and comparing it to their apparent brightness gives astronomers a unique chance to measure distances across the universe.