Hubble Captures Stunning Image of Peculiar Spiral Galaxy Arp 184 in Camelopardalis

NASA/ESA Hubble space telescope has captured a beautiful yet skewed-shaped spiral galaxy that resides about 190 million light-years away from Earth. This galaxy, named Arp 184 or NGC 1961, is a part of the Camelopardalis or the Giraffe constellation. Its vivid and dazzling image reveals its asymmetric shape, and a single spiral arm stretched towards the viewer make it an interesting prospect for studies. The occurrence of multiple supernovae has drawn the attention of researchers to be a valuable target for research into galactic interactions and stellar explosions.

Cataloguing the galaxy

According to the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by astronomer Halton, Arp in 1966, the galaxy is named Arp 184. This catalogues about 338 galaxies that tend to be neither entirely spiral nor entirely elliptical-shaped. Dwarf galaxies without particular structures and the galaxies interacting with one another are also catalogued here. Arp 184 has a bright spot radiating light as the centre. A thick, stormy disc of material surrounds this, with swirling strands of dark dust and bright spots of star formation strewn through the disc.

A large spiral, star-speckled arm extends from the disc towards the viewer, for which it has earned a spot in this Atlas. The far side of Arp 184 does not have this impressive stretched arm, but it sports a few wisps of gas and stars on that side.

Hubble snapshot observing programs

The Hubble image showcases data from three Snapshot observing programs, one of which focused on Arp 184 for its unique appearance. The program surveyed galaxies listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies and A Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations. The other two programs examined the aftermath of astronomical events like supernovae and tidal disruption events. Arp 184, having hosted four known supernovae in the past three decades, is a prime target for a supernova hunt.