Scientists want to know what this distant galaxy ate to make it so weird
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed spiral galaxy NGC 4698, whose center spins sideways to its disk, likely after eating a tiny galaxy.
A galaxy located 55 million light-years away, known as NGC 4698, is spinning in two opposing directions, which has baffled astronomers. This peculiar behavior suggests that the galaxy might have ingested a smaller neighbor at some point in its history. The Hubble Space Telescope captured a detailed image of NGC 4698, revealing its unique structure.
The galaxy's bright arms form a ring around its outer edge, leaving the center relatively empty. However, in the middle, there exists a distinct bulge that is different from the rest of the galaxy. Observations indicate that the stars in this bulge are moving in a perpendicular direction to the rest of the galaxy, creating a sort of doughnut shape.
Scientists believe that a collision with another smaller galaxy may have caused this unusual spinning motion. The presence of a black hole at the center, which is actively growing, further supports this theory. Despite its unusual characteristics, NGC 4698 appears to be a relatively ordinary galaxy with dark dust clouds and bright blue stars scattered throughout its outer regions.
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