NGC 4536, a cosmic masterpiece of beauty.
We are pleased to release this nice image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4536, offering a detailed view on such a deep-space wonder.
Spiral galaxy NGC 4536.
Among the vast reaches of the night sky, in the constellation Virgo, lies NGC 4536, an intermediate spiral galaxy located approximately 50 million light-years from Earth. Its morphology features a moderately pronounced central bar and open spiral arms, forming a harmonious structure reminiscent, in some respects, of more familiar galaxies like the Milky Way. It was discovered by William Herschel on 24 Jan. 1784.
The wonderful image above was captured last spring with the Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST-10XME robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy.
What makes NGC 4536 particularly compelling is its intense star formation activity. The galaxy’s spiral arms are rich in H II regions, vast clouds of ionized gas where new stars are born. These regions shine brightly due to the radiation emitted by young, massive stars, which excites the surrounding gas. This makes NGC 4536 a true stellar factory.
NGC 4536 is part of the M 61 group, a gravitationally bound collection of galaxies in the southern portion of the Virgo Cluster, but it is not considered a member of that cluster. The proximity of neighboring galaxies promotes weak gravitational interactions, which can enhance gas density in the spiral arms and central regions, further driving star formation.
Overall, NGC 4536 represents an extraordinary example of an active spiral galaxy: its luminous arms, bright nucleus, and starburst regions offer astronomers the opportunity to observe and analyze stellar formation processes in real time.
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