Today's Image

New Year’s fireworks?

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January 3, 2018

In this new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope – released January 2, 2018 – a firestorm of star birth is lighting up one end of the dwarf galaxy Kiso 5649 (aka LEDA 36252). ESA said:

The galaxy is a member of a class of galaxies called ‘tadpoles’ because of their bright heads and elongated tails. This galaxy resides relatively nearby, at a distance of 80 million light-years. Tadpoles are rare in the local universe but common in the distant universe, suggesting that many galaxies pass through a phase like this as they evolve.

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.