Hubble delivers spectacular galaxy

The galaxy, NGC 1672, is visible from the southern hemisphere and the NASA image taken in August 2005 shows the galaxy almost face on.

The remarkable image unveils details in the galaxy's star-forming clouds and dark bands of interstellar dust.

One of the most striking features is the dust lanes that extend away from the nucleus and follow the inner edges of the galaxy's spiral arms.

Clusters of hot young blue stars form along the spiral arms and ionize surrounding clouds of hydrogen gas that glow red.

Delicate curtains of dust partially obscure and redden the light of the stars behind them by scattering blue light.

NGC 1672 differs from normal spiral galaxies in that the spiral arms do not twist all the way into the centre. Instead, they are attached to the two ends of a straight bar of stars enclosing the nucleus.

Astronomers believe that barred spirals have a unique mechanism that channels gas from the disk inwards towards the nucleus. This allows the bar portion of the galaxy to serve as an area of new star generation.

The new Hubble observations, performed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the observatory, have shed light on the process of starburst activity and on why some galaxies are ablaze with extremely active star formation.
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