Hubble captures NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy with misaligned rotating core
A rare galaxy 55 million light-years away shows its bulge and inner stars rotating perpendicular to its outer disc, likely from past galactic merger.
What to know
- NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy 55 million light-years away, has its central bulge and inner rotating material aligned perpendicular to its outer disc—one of only a few known spirals with this configuration.
- Astronomers attribute the misalignment to external gas accretion or a prior minor galactic merger, with hydrogen streamer evidence supporting the merger scenario.
- The galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole actively drawing in gas at its centre, surrounded by older, cooler stars.
European Space Agency / NASA Observatory operatorThilker Principal Investigator
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Astronomers attribute misalignment to external gas inflow or past merger
Analysis accompanying the image release attributes the unusual perpendicular rotation to either gas funneled in from an outside source or a prior minor galactic merger. Evidence for the merger scenario includes a short tail of hydrogen streaming from one side of NGC 4698.
“If NGC 4698 funneled in gas from an outside source, the newly collected gas could have formed a disc of gas and stars in the galaxy's centre, at an angle relative to the rest of the disc.”
— European Space Agency -
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ESA releases Hubble image of NGC 4698 revealing perpendicular rotation
The European Space Agency publicized a new Hubble Space Telescope observation of NGC 4698, a spiral galaxy 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The image reveals that the galaxy's central bulge and the stars and gas nearest its centre rotate perpendicular to the rest of the disc—a rare configuration.
“NGC 4698 is one of only a few known spiral galaxies with a bulge that extends out from the disc at a right angle.”
— European Space Agency