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> Starburst galaxy NGC 1569

Starburst galaxy NGC 1569

author: Nasa/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team/Novapix

reference: a-gax15-69001

Image Size 300 DPI: 27 * 16 cm

NGC 1569 is located in the middle of a group of about 10 galaxies centered on the spiral galaxy IC 342. Gravitational interactions among the group's galaxies may be compressing gas in NGC 1569 and igniting the star-birthing frenzy. The galaxy is forming stars at a rate more than 100 times higher than the rate in the Milky Way. This high star-formation rate has been almost continuous for the past 100 million years. Thanks to Hubble space telescope, astronomers have now measured the galaxy's distance at nearly 11 million light-years away, about 4 million light-years farther than the old distance.

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - ACS - ASTRONOMY - CAMELOPARDALIS - DISTANCE - DWARF GALAXY - GALAXY - HST - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - IRREGULAR GALAXY - NGC 1569 - STAR - STAR BIRTH - STAR FORMATION - YOUNG STAR -