Hubble Captures Spectacular New Image of a Galaxy with Two Hearts

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a spectacular new image of a galaxy with two hearts. The picture shows the spiral galaxy Messier 83, otherwise known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, set amidst the starry backdrop of space.

Located 15 million light-years away in the constellation of Hydra, Messier 83 is one of the most conspicuous galaxies of its type in our skies. It's a prominent member of a group of galaxies known as the Centaurus A/M83 Group. As a spiral galaxy, Messier 83 has a "bar" of stars slicing through its center, which means that technically it's known as a "barred spiral." Our own Milky Way galaxy also belongs to this category.

The bars in a barred spiral galaxy are thought to act a bit like a funnel, channeling gas inward toward the galaxy's center. This gas is then used to form new stars and also to feed the galaxy's central black hole. This explains why many barred spirals have very active and luminous central regions.

Yet Messier 83's central region is a bit more unusual than most. The supermassive black hole at its heart isn't alone; instead, it's accompanied by a lopsided disk of stars that orbits the black hole and creates the appearance of a dual core. This particular phenomenon is known as a double nucleus, a feature that's also been spotted in the Andromeda Galaxy.

That's not all that's unusual about this galaxy, though. Messier 83 has also hosted quite a few supernova explosions. So far, six have been observed--a number that is matched by only two other galaxies. In addition to these explosions, almost 300 supernova remnants have been located within this galaxy.

The image reveals a bit more about this unusual galaxy. More specifically, it can be used to help study the life cycles of stars, which include old remnants and star clusters.

The image was released at the 223^rd annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society on Jan. 9 2014.