This galaxy is approximately 118 million light years distant from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor. Also known as IRAS 10265 + 2944, LEDA 30895 and UGC 5685, the galaxy was discovered by the British astronomer William Herschel, born in Germany, on March 13, 1785. It belongs to the group of galaxies NGC 3254, which also includes NGC 3245, NGC 3265 and other galaxies.
"In the new image, NGC 3254 looks like a typical spiral galaxy, viewed from the side," said the Hubble astronomers. “However, NGC 3254 has a fascinating secret hidden in plain sight: it is a Seyfert galaxy, which means that it has an extraordinarily active nucleus, known as the active galactic nucleus , that releases as much energy as the rest of the galaxy combined. ".
Can Seyfert galaxies be considered rare or uncommon? No; About 10% of all galaxies are believed to be Seyfert galaxies, the researchers explained. "They belong to the class of active galaxies: galaxies that have supermassive black holes at their centers that are actively accumulating material, releasing large amounts of radiation as it accumulates. There is a second, much more active type of galaxy that it is known as quasar ".
"The active nuclei of Seyfert galaxies, like the one in NGC 3254, are brightest when viewed in light outside the visible spectrum . At other wavelengths, this image would look very different, with the nucleus of the galaxy shining extremely bright. "conclude the astronomers.
