Space Photo of the Week: Hubble's 23-Year Journey to Capture the Tilted Spiral Galaxy

2025-04-20 22:16:23

In this remarkable Hubble image, over two decades in the making, the dazzling spiral galaxy UGC 10043 unveils the mysteries behind its surprisingly large bulge.

UGC 10043 is among the rare spiral galaxies observed from the edge perspective.

What it is: Spiral galaxy UGC 10043

Where it is: 150 million light-years away in the constellation Serpens

When it was shared: December 12, 2024

Why it's so special: This image of a spiral galaxy taken by the Hubble Space Telescope is a portrait more than two decades in the making.

Similar to many full-color images of celestial bodies, this one is a composite made from images captured in various wavelengths of light. What distinguishes this particular image is that the data utilized for its creation was gathered during observation sessions in 2000 and 2023, spanning a remarkable 23 years. This long-term advantage of having a space telescope in orbit is evident: Hubble was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990, an