24/01/2026
A cosmic eye, wide open 👁️✨
This shimmering image showcases the spiral galaxy NGC 3285B, located about 137 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. Captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the image beautifully reveals the galaxy’s distinctive features, including scattered blue clouds of gas spread across its disk. These regions mark sites of active star formation, where newly born stars illuminate the surrounding material.
The galaxy’s core is large and luminous, glowing with a warm golden hue, while its spiral arms display softer, pale reddish tones. A central bar stretching across the galaxy is also clearly visible, shaping the motion of stars and gas within the disk.
NGC 3285B is part of the Hydra I Cluster, one of the largest galaxy clusters in the nearby universe. It lies on the outskirts of the cluster, far from the massive galaxies concentrated near the center. The galaxy attracted particular attention from astronomers after hosting a Type Ia supernova in 2023, making it an important target for detailed study.
Released in July 2025, this mesmerizing image is a composite of ultraviolet and infrared observations taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz)
