Jellyfish galaxy clicked in space! NASA's Hubble Telescope shares image

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a jellyfish galaxy with trailing tentacles of stars.

Here is all you need to know about the jellyfish galaxy clicked by the Hubble Space Telescope. (ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Gullieuszik)

From galaxies, Sun, planets, to asteroids, meteors, and more, space is virtually infinite. These objects are of different sizes and shapes. Have you heard of a jellyfish galaxy? Yes, it exists! A jellyfish galaxy with trailing tentacles of stars hanging in inky blackness has been clicked by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Sharing the image of the same Hubble tweeted, "This image shows a "jellyfish" galaxy called JO201. As jellyfish galaxies move through space, gas is slowly stripped away – forming trails that look like tendrils illuminated by clumps of star formation!"

Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) captured this galactic seascape. "A versatile instrument that captures images at ultraviolet, infrared, and visible wavelengths, WFC3 is the source of some of Hubble's most spectacular images," NASA informed.

Describing the image, the research organisation said, "These blue tendrils are visible below the core of this galaxy, giving it a jellyfish-like appearance. This particular jellyfish galaxy – known as JO201 – lies in the constellation Cetus, which is named after a sea monster from ancient Greek mythology. This sea-monster-themed constellation adds to the nautical theme of this image."

The tendrils of jellyfish galaxies extend beyond the bright disk of the galaxy's core. This particular observation comes from an investigation into the sizes, masses, and ages of clumps of star formation in the tendrils of jellyfish galaxies.

How can jellyfish galaxies help astronomers

Astronomers hope this will provide a better understanding of the connection between ram-pressure stripping – the process that creates the tendrils of jellyfish galaxies – and star formation.

Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble, the observatory, is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space. It was launched and deployed in April 1990 marking the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo's telescope. Scientists have used Hubble to observe the most distant stars and galaxies as well as the planets in our solar system.