A new Hubble picture shows a thin galaxy with a bright middle. NASA shared the image on October 16. The galaxy, called NGC 1827, is about 37 million light-years from Earth. We see it from the side. Dark lines of dust cross its disk, while blue areas may contain newly forming stars.
A bright star appears close to the middle in the picture. However, that star is much nearer to us than the galaxy. Its four bright points come from the telescope's design. They are not the star's real shape. Scientists use observations like these to learn about small galaxies. Comparing them can help researchers check their ideas about how the universe works.