Hubble Spies Galaxy with Lots to See

Explore Hubble

Hubble Home
Overview

About Hubble
The History of Hubble
Hubble Timeline
Why Have a Telescope in Space?
Hubble by the Numbers
At the Museum
FAQs

Impact & Benefits

Hubble’s Impact & Benefits
Science Impacts
Cultural Impact
Technology Benefits
Impact on Human Spaceflight
Astro Community Impacts

Science

Hubble Science
Science Themes
Science Highlights
Science Behind Discoveries
Universe Uncovered
Hubble’s Partners in Science
AI and Hubble Science
Explore the Night Sky

Observatory

Hubble Observatory
Hubble Design
Mission Operations
Astronaut Missions to Hubble
Hubble vs Webb

Team

Hubble Team
Career Aspirations
Hubble Astronauts

Multimedia

Images
Videos
Sonifications
Podcasts
e-Books
Online Activities
3D Hubble Models
Lithographs
Fact Sheets
Posters
Hubble on the NASA App
Glossary

News

Hubble News
Social Media
Media Resources

More

35th Anniversary
Online Activities

2 min read
Hubble Spies Galaxy with Lots to See

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the galaxy NGC 7456.
ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker

While it may appear as just another spiral galaxy among billions in the universe, this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a galaxy with plenty to study. The galaxy, NGC 7456, is located over 51 million light-years away in the constellation Grus (the Crane).
This Hubble image reveals fine detail in the galaxy’s patchy spiral arms, followed by clumps of dark, obscuring dust. Blossoms of glowing pink are rich reservoirs of gas where new stars are forming, illuminating the clouds around them and causing the gas to emit this tell-tale red light. The Hubble observing program that collected this data focused on the galaxy’s stellar activity, tracking new stars, clouds of hydrogen, and star clusters to learn how the galaxy evolved through time.
Hubble, with its ability to capture visible, ultraviolet, and some infrared light, is not the only observatory focused on NGC 7456. ESA’s XMM-Newton satellite imaged X-rays from the galaxy on multiple occasions, discovering many so-called ultraluminous X-ray sources. These small, compact objects emit terrifically powerful X-rays, much more than researchers would expect, given their size. Astronomers are still trying to pin down what powers these extreme objects, and NGC 7456 contributes a few more examples.
The region around the galaxy’s supermassive black hole is also spectacularly bright and energetic, making NGC 7456 an active galaxy. Whether looking at its core or its outskirts, at visible light or X-rays, this galaxy has something interesting for astronomers to study!

Facebook logo

@NASAHubble

@NASAHubble

Instagram logo

@NASAHubble

Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

Share

Details

Last Updated

Sep 04, 2025

Editor

Andrea Gianopoulos

Location

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Related Terms

Astrophysics
Astrophysics Division
Galaxies
Goddard Space Flight Center
Hubble Space Telescope
Spiral Galaxies
The Universe

Keep Exploring
Discover More Topics From Hubble

Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Science Behind the Discoveries

Hubble Design

Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge