Finding Star Clusters in Lost Spiral Galaxy NGC 4535 in Virgo | Hubble

Finding Star Clusters in Lost Spiral Galaxy NGC 4535 in Virgo | Hubble

This Hubble picture features the spiral galaxy NGC 4535. It is located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (The Maiden). This galaxy has been nicknamed the ‘Lost Galaxy’ because it is extremely faint when viewed through a small telescope. With a mirror spanning 2.4 meters across, Hubble is well equipped to observe dim galaxies like NGC 4535 and pick out features like its massive spiral arms and central bar of stars.

On full display in this Hubble image are NGC 4535’s young star clusters that dot the galaxy’s spiral arms. Many of the groupings of bright blue stars are enclosed by glowing pink clouds. These clouds, called H II (‘H-two’) regions, are a sign that the galaxy is home to especially young, hot, and massive stars that are blazing with high-energy radiation. By heating the clouds in which they were born, shooting out powerful stellar winds, and eventually exploding as supernovae, massive stars certainly shake up their surroundings. 

This Hubble image incorporates data from an observing program that will catalogue roughly 50,000 H II regions in nearby star-forming galaxies like NGC 4535. A previous image of NGC 4535 was released in 2021. Both the 2021 image and today’s image incorporate observations from the PHANGS program that seek to understand the connections between young stars and cold gas. This  current image adds a new dimension to our understanding of NGC 4535 by capturing the brilliant red glow of the nebulae that encircle massive stars in their first few million years of life.

Image Description: A close-in view of a spiral galaxy that faces the viewer. Brightly lit spiral arms swing outwards through the galaxy’s disc, starting from an elliptical region in the center. Thick strands of dark reddish dust are spread across the disc, mostly following the spiral arms. The arms also contain many glowing pink-red spots where stars form. The galaxy is a bit fainter beyond the arms, but speckled with blue stars.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team
Release Date: Nov. 17, 2025

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