This Hubble Space Telescope features NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo, 49 million light-years from Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)
NGC 4951, imaged by the always excelled at measuring populations of stars, and the task of tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception.
NGC 4951 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a very bright and energetic nucleus called an active galactic nucleus. This image demonstrates well how energetic the galaxy is, and some of the dynamic galactic activity that transports matter and energy throughout it: a shining core surrounded by swirling arms, glowing pink star-forming regions, and thick dust.