Leo_IV_dwarf_galaxy.jpeg
Size of this preview:
591 × 600 pixels
.
Other resolutions:
236 × 240 pixels
|
473 × 480 pixels
|
756 × 768 pixels
|
1,009 × 1,024 pixels
|
2,017 × 2,048 pixels
|
3,940 × 4,000 pixels
.
Summary
| Description |
English:
Astronomers used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to unmask the dim, star-starved dwarf galaxy Leo IV. This Hubble image demonstrates why astronomers had a tough time spotting this small-fry galaxy: it is practically invisible. The image shows how the handful of stars from the sparse galaxy are virtually indistinguishable from the background.
Residing 500 000 light-years from Earth, Leo IV is one of more than a dozen ultra-faint dwarf galaxies found lurking around our Milky Way galaxy. These galaxies are dominated by dark matter, an invisible substance that makes up the bulk of the Universe’s mass.
|
| Date | |
| Source | http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1211a/ |
| Author | NASA, ESA, and T. Brown (STScI) |
Licensing
This file is licensed under the
Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported
license.
-
You are free:
- to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
- to remix – to adapt the work
-
Under the following conditions:
- attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.