Hubble Accidentally Discovers a New Galaxy in Cosmic Neighborhoo

A CLOSER LOOK

This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of a concentration of stars within the globular cluster NGC 6752. Hidden among the stars is an image of a background galaxy that is much farther away. The diminutive galaxy, named by its discoverers as Bedin 1, measures only around 3,000 light-years at its greatest extent — a fraction of the size of the Milky Way. Not only is it tiny, but it is also incredibly faint. These properties led astronomers to classify it as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is as old as the universe. More info: https://go.nasa.gov/2tCaxGS Credits: NASA, ESA and L. Bedin (Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Italy)

Explore NASA's original image record for credits and available downloads.