See it: Hubble telescope spots oddly shaped galaxy with spiral arm
The odd shape of NGC 1961 has landed it in an exclusive catalog of objects in the sky known as the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies (APG).
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NASA and the European Space Agency recently shared an image of NGC 1961, an oddly shaped spiral galaxy located about 190 million light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis, or "The Giraffe,"
Perhaps similar to a giraffe, NGC 1961 looks a bit peculiar. On one side, it has a wide, star-studded spiral arm that appears as if it is reaching out, according to NASA. This feature is not mirrored on the other side, which instead showcases only a few tendrils of gas and stars.
HUBBLE TELESCOPE CAPTURES STUNNING IMAGES OF STAR SYSTEM REMINISCENT OF A VOLCANO
The galaxy known as Apg 184 or NGC 1961.
(NASA/ESA)
This is in contrast to more traditionally shaped galaxies, such as our own Milky Way, which has robust spiral arms on all sides.
The odd shape of NGC 1961 has landed it in an exclusive catalog of objects in the sky known as the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies (APG). NASA said the galaxy joins nearly 340 other peculiar star systems on the list, and even gains a second name as part of the list: Apg 184.
Imaged features on Apg 184 or NGC 1961 were only possible through data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope, which used three Snapshot observing programs. NASA noted that Hubble targeted the oddly shaped galaxy for its peculiar appearance.
Hubble in Earth's orbit.
(NASA / FOX Weather)
NGC 1961 is part of the oldest, nearly 150-year-old catalog of objects known as A New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters.