Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope are getting into the festive spirit with a holiday image showing a dwarf irregular galaxy called UGC 8091.
Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope are getting into the festive spirit with a holiday image showing a dwarf irregular galaxy called UGC 8091. Located 7 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo, this region is a hotbed of star formation, with bright young stars illuminating the gas around them to create a sparkling mass reminiscent of Christmas lights.
It is designated an irregular galaxy because of its nonuniform shape, and a dwarf galaxy because of its small size. Unlike spiral galaxies, such as our Milky Way, or elliptical galaxies, which are smooth and have a elliptical shape, irregular galaxies can come in a variety of shapes.
