Hubble Space Telescope Lights the Way with New Multiwavelength Images of Galaxy NGC 1559

The spectacular galaxy seen in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is NGC 1559. It is a barred spiral galaxy located about 35 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Vesicle. The bright light captured in the current image provides a wealth of information.

The picture is made up of 10 images taken by the Hubble Telescope, each filtered to collect a specific wavelength or range of wavelengths of light. Hubble’s sensitivity to light ranges from ultraviolet through visible light to the near-infrared spectrum.

Capturing such a wide range of wavelengths allows astronomers to study information about various astrophysical processes in the galaxy. One notable example is the 656 nanometer red filter used here. Ionized hydrogen atoms emit light at this particular wavelength, called H-alpha emission.

New stars forming in molecular clouds made mainly of hydrogen gas emit large amounts of ultraviolet radiation that is absorbed by the molecular cloud, ionizing the hydrogen gas and causing it to glow in H-alpha light.

Using Hubble’s filters to detect only H-alpha light allows it to reliably detect star-forming regions (called HII regions), which are visible in this image as bright red and pink specks filling NGC 1559’s spiral arms.

The 10 images come from six different Hubble observing programs spanning from 2009 to 2024. Teams of astronomers from around the world proposed these programs with different scientific goals, from studying ionized gas and star formation, to tracking supernovae, to tracking variable stars as a contribution to the calculation of the Hubble constant.

All these observations are stored in the Hubble Archive and are available to everyone. The archive is regularly used to generate new science, but also to create stunning images like this one. This new image of NGC 1559 is a reminder of the incredible opportunities Hubble has provided and continues to provide.

In addition to the Hubble Space Telescope observations, astronomers are continuing to study the galaxy with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. The Webb image, taken in February, shows the galaxy in near- and mid-infrared light.