Hubble Looks At A 'Galactic Oddball' That's Stumped Astronomers For Decades
There are things in space that can stump even the smartest of astronomers — as in the case with this aptly named 'galactic oddball' spotted by NASA's Hubble telescope. It's no longer a secret that the universe is a vast and complex place. With hundreds of billions of galaxies throughout the universe, all touting their own unique stars and planets, there's always something new for scientists to uncover.
At the heart of many of these discoveries is Hubble. The iconic space telescope has helped uncover some of the most important details about our Solar System, the Milky Way galaxy, and the universe at large. It's also captured heaps of stunning images to showcase the neverending beauty of space. NASA regularly shares these pictures on its website, providing incredible looks at dazzling galaxies, powerful black holes, and jaw-dropping nebulae.
Related: This Hubble Photo Of A Space 'Chamaeleon' Is Absolutely Stunning
NASA shared another Hubble photo on February 4, and this one is particularly eye-catching. What you're looking at above is NGC 1705. It's a dwarf galaxy around 17 million light-years from Earth, and it's something NASA has appropriately labeled a 'galactic oddball.' Why? NGC 1705 is an incredibly strange galaxy. It's smaller than most other galaxies, is «irregularly shaped,» and recently went through a 'starburst' process where large amounts of stars formed around it.
Although NGC 1705 poses a lot of questions, that hasn't stopped astronomers from trying to understand it as best as they can. As NASA explains, irregular dwarf galaxies like NGC 1705 often contain «few elements other than hydrogen or helium.» Astronomers also think these galaxies are similar to some of the earliest galaxies in the universe, making
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