{
  "id": 8427848,
  "title": "Scientists want to know what this distant galaxy ate to make it so weird",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/scientists-want-to-know-what-this-distant-galaxy-ate-to-make-it-so",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-19T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mashable",
    "slug": "mashable",
    "url": "https://mashable.com/science/hubble-image-spiral-galaxy-spins-two-directions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed spiral galaxy NGC 4698, whose center spins sideways to its disk, likely after eating a tiny galaxy.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}