Photo of the day: close-up barred spiral galaxy

The Hubble Space Telescope website presents yet another mesmerizing snapshot of the vastness of the Universe: this time, a galaxy designated NGC 4603 is captured.

The named structure is located at a distance of more than 100 million light-years from us in the constellation Centaurus. The photo shows the subject in close-up so that its characteristic features are clearly visible.

NGC 4603 is a barred spiral galaxy. Structures of this type have a “bar” of bright stars from the center and cross the galaxy in the middle. Spiral branches in such galaxies begin at the ends of the bars.

The photo shows blotches of blue stars and bizarre dust formations. Also, a bright central area is captured.

It is estimated that about two-thirds of spiral galaxies have a bar in their structure. Our Milky Way galaxy also belongs to such objects.