A Spiral in Serpens

Spiral in SerpensThis picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a spiral galaxy known as PGC 54493 located in the constellation of Serpens (The Serpent). This galaxy is part of a galaxy cluster that has been studied by astronomers exploring an intriguing phenomenon known as weak gravitational lensing. The light Hubble sees from PGC 54493 experiences cosmic shearing, a weak gravitational lensing effect that creates tiny distortions in images of distant galaxies.

Image Credit: NASA

1 thought on “A Spiral in Serpens


  1. Galaxies are what? Lots of stars with planets orbiting them? However, I see in the pic there are many starts that seem all alone, isolated in space. How many light years away is PGC 54493?

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