Look at that picture, how majestic isn’t it… let us introduce you to the awe-inspiring spiral galaxy, the Cannibal galaxy…Cannibal? Yes, Cannibal, most of you must have heard of cannibalism, isn’t it…This galaxy, NGC 4651, must have got this name perhaps because it had consumed another smaller galaxy before gaining its majestic appearance. Though this image was captured by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, there is a scope for amateur astronomers to get its glimpse using a telescope…
This remarkable spiral galaxy, known as NGC 4651, may look serene and peaceful as it swirls in the vast, silent emptiness of space, but don’t be fooled — it keeps a violent secret. It is believed that this galaxy consumed another smaller galaxy to become the large and beautiful spiral that we observe today. Although only a telescope like the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which captured this image, could give us a picture this clear, NGC 4651 can also be observed with an amateur telescope — so if you have a telescope at home and a star-gazing eye, look out for this glittering carnivorous spiral.
– ARCHANA
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Leonard
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