Photo Insights
Distance: NGC 3783 is a staggering 130 million light-years away from Earth. Despite the vast distance, it appears quite bright due to its active central region.
Early Stage of Evolution: The galaxy group is thought to be in a relatively early stage of evolution. This makes it a valuable target for astronomers studying how galaxy groups form and evolve over time.
Central Companion (Illusion): Although the focus of the image is NGC 3783, a very bright object in the lower right corner might appear to be a close companion. This is actually the star HD 101274, located a mere 1,530 light-years from Earth. This incredible distance difference makes HD 101274 appear deceptively close to the much more distant NGC 3783.
Active Core: NGC 3783 is classified as a type-1 Seyfert galaxy, known for having a particularly bright central region. This active core is captured in stunning detail by Hubble, showcasing its glowing central bar, narrow, winding spiral arms, and the dust threaded throughout them.
Kerr black hole: NGC 3783 hosts a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole of 2.8 million solar masses at its centre, a kerr black hole.
Diffraction Spikes: The intensity of the galactic centre is so high that it exhibits diffraction spikes in this Hubble image, a phenomenon typically seen only around stars like HD 101274. This further highlights the active nature of NGC 3783's core.
Eponymous Galaxy Group: Interestingly, NGC 3783 lends its name to the surrounding group of galaxies known as the NGC 3783 galaxy group. Galaxy groups are smaller and less massive than galaxy clusters, typically containing fewer than 50 members.
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