June 13, 2021.

Hubble Space Telescope image of spiral galaxy NGC 3254.

This image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 3254, observed using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

In this image, NGC 3254 looks like a typical spiral galaxy, viewed side-on.

However, NGC 3254 has a fascinating secret that it is hiding in plain sight — it is a Seyfert galaxy, meaning that it has an extraordinarily active core, known as an active galactic nucleus, which releases as much energy as the rest of the galaxy put together.

Seyfert galaxies are not rare — about 10% of all galaxies are thought to be Seyfert galaxies.

There is a second, far more active, type of active galaxy that is known as a quasar.

The active cores of Seyfert galaxies, such as NGC 3254, are brightest when observed in light outside the visible spectrum.

June 12, 2021

June 12, 2021